A Fine Line
by Kurai-Tenshi-015
Summary: Someone has corrupted the Angel of Truth, and it has caused the world to change drastically as truth and compassion are replaced with lies and hatred. The Guardians are forced to recruit the two Spirits of Love and Lust to help defeat the evil that is a threat not only to the Guardians, but to humanity as a whole. BunnyxOC
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Welcome new and old friends! Before we get to the good stuff, I have a few things that I want to get out of the way...

This is a more adult oriented Rise of the Guardians story, so everyone should put on their Rated M glasses! It is meant to be a lot darker than the movie (and spirits can die in my world, not that I'm planning on that happening). Therefore I want you all to picture the ROTG world, but a lot more badass. If there were a rated R ROTG, this would probably be it.

It also centers on the well-being of adults just as much as children, which is why I created my original characters specifically to take care of the more mature duties.

You'll also notice that unlike my other stories, in this one I use Bunny's other name to refer to him. "Bunny" just seems so cute and fluffy and that's not exactly what I'm going for here. I'm trying to give the impression of a tougher, slightly meaner, and much much sexier Easter Bunny, and when I think of him I just see him as "Aster." The others Guardians will refer to him as "Bunny" depending on the point of view, but most of the time he's "Aster." Also, as I mentioned above, he is absolutely badass, okay? So add a little muscle onto him (not bodybuilder that's just nasty), just enough to make him less cuddly and a little more like the rabbit you'd never let out of your bedroom, okay? Okay! Aaaaand… action!

**WARNING: **This story contains a lot of adult language, quite a bit of action/violence (not too bad but I want to be careful), and also a lot of adult content (that means naughty implications and eventually lemons). If you are offended by any of this I suggest you do not read this story.

A Fine Line

Chapter 1:

When Pitch had attempted to force the children of the world to believe in him by spreading fear, he had used black sand to bring North's attention to him. There was no warning of his intent, and it didn't have that high of a success rate. This time there was a clear sign that something horrible was happening.

Not only were the lights on the globe dying steadily, but darkness had seemed to settle in the souls of many, further dispensing the evil throughout their lives. People who had never told a lie in their lives were becoming deceitful and corrupt. Friends were turning against each other and significant others were becoming hateful and sometimes even violent. It was one of the worst massive increases of negative energy in history, and it was getting out of control.

North stares up at the globe as the lights of believers disappear seemingly without any reason. He checks the rotation and when it doesn't seem to make a difference, he frowns and strokes his beard nervously.

"This can't be happening again." It had been over a decade since Pitch had been defeated, so it couldn't have been him. But there was no doubt that something was working against the Guardians once again, only this time it was stronger. He turns to Phil, who frowns back at him, and the worry in the yeti's eyes helps him make the decision to call the others. He instantly sends out the Northern lights, and waits impatiently for them to respond, pacing the floor. "Why now? What has changed?" He continues to talk to himself, searching for answers he could never find by himself as the other four arrive. They take one glance at the globe and see the same problem that he did, but this time they had more information to give.

"North, what's going on? All of my children have changed." Tooth says, and she flits closer, her pink eyes full of confusion and concern. "The ones that always believed in me and looked forward to losing their teeth have become so different. They're angry, and have no hope." Aster crosses his arms over his chest as he listens to her describe the children, and he remembers the ones that had teased others for believing, saying that they were acting like babies.

"One of mine stopped believing in me because of bullies. They told him that I wasn't real and that they shouldn't believe in in me anymore. They said that he needed to grow up." He adds. Sandy frowns and wrings his hands together nervously.

"I think I know what it is." Jack speaks up from his position on top of his staff. "When I was creating a snow storm in Minnesota, I heard two parents arguing. They were screaming about lies in their marriage, and their daughter was listening at the door." He frowns at the ground as he remembers what happened next. "They just kept screaming, and suddenly the mother pointed out that lies are dangerous, like the one about Santa Clause that keeps children from understanding the difference between reality and fantasy." The others flinch, knowing what the outcome was before Jack even says it. "I could practically see her light go out. She just deflated. It was horrible."

"Her parents made her stop believing." North echoes all of their thoughts.

"But North, don't you see? It was their anger that made them say it. Something is going on here that doesn't have anything to do with the children."

"Explain, Tooth."

"I've seen a lot lately, how people are behaving. There are more lies being told, more anger being spread. Compassion is dying, and it's taking the children's belief with it. The adults are being targeted by something or someone, and the children are just getting the after effects." There is a long period of silence as the Guardians chew over this bit of information.

"So what does this mean? We can only help the children. But unless we can figure out what's happening to make the adults so… heartless… we can't stop this." Aster says quietly.

Sandy looks up to the skylight with wide eyes, and after a moment the moon shines down a light on them, just as it had all of those years ago. There was only a slight comfort that Manny would know what to do, and with that thought the Guardians move around the circle of light as the crystal begins to rise from the floor. Still, they all held their breath as the crystal began to shine and create not one, but two silhouettes. However, these two made North's brow furrow in confusion.

"Manny? You're sure?" He rarely ever questioned the man in the moon, but it just didn't seem right. His only response was when the blue light shined even brighter, and North sighs before nodding. Tooth moves toward the crystal with narrowed eyes, taking in the two figures.

"This is so strange. I would have expected someone… I don't know, tougher."

"Oh, they are plenty tough." North corrects her, and as the crystal begins to lower back into his floor, he moves to the window to stare out at the snow covered glaciers surrounding his home. "But I wonder what they could possibly do in such a devastating case as this."

"Who will get them?" Jack asks, and North shakes his head with a wry smile.

"They're already on their way."

xoXox

Fever's dark, almost black eyes follow the girl's as they linger on her significant other's lips. She is trying so badly to send him a hint. She had fluffed her hair, pushed her breasts together, and even snuggled into his side as they watched the movie in her room. Fever shakes her head as she feels the girl's frustration and moves from her spot at the window into the room. You'd think that a boy in his late twenties would know what to do when a girl had _that _kind of look on her face. She moves around the bed where the couple is lying, her high heeled boots making a soft clicking noise that they would never hear. Her fingertips move down the girl's shoulder, making her shiver, and Fever watches the boy's eyes dart over her. She smiles slightly and uses her other hand to turn his chin so he's looking into the girl's eyes, and with one last touch to the girl's neck she gasps slightly and her back arches.

In an instant the two are kissing, and Fever watches for one more moment as their arms wrap around each other and the television is forgotten. At the first moan she excuses herself with a smirk, exiting through the window and settling on top of a roof a couple of houses down. _Finally, _she thinks to herself. She had been working that particular couple for days, trying to get them to take the next step in their relationship. She sits on the edge of the roof and lets her legs hang down the wall, leaning back on her palms. Her red hood falls from her head to rest on her shoulders and she feels the moon shine down onto her as it always seemed to do.

"Moonstruck." She chuckles to herself and closes her eyes, and then they pop open when she feels her other half land next to her.

"Fever." She turns to face Val with a smile, and then it disappears at the concerned look on his face. It's shadowed by his blonde hair, and his lips are twisted into a scowl.

"What's wrong?"

"There's trouble. We're needed at the Pole." Her eyes narrow in confusion. She knew that the big guy only called other spirits in when something was terribly wrong. It had to be big if he needed them both, but she couldn't begin to imagine what. She stands and puts her hand in Val's outstretched one. In an instant they are both landing on snow covered ground. Fever glances around before two yetis confront them, and her fingers release Val's, instinctually moving closer to her sword. The yetis look at them for a moment, and then they grunt at each other and wave the couple forward into the workshop.

"Thank you." Val says politely, but the yetis don't reply. They just lead them further in, and Fever jumps slightly as the large doors to the palace close behind them.

xoXox

Tooth, Jack, Sandy, and Aster watch North silently as he seems to just stare out of the window. No one wanted to say anything. It was as if there was nothing that _could _be said to lighten the mood. It only took a few minutes until the door to the globe room opened and two yetis spoke quietly to North. He nods and waves his hand, and two people walk into the room cautiously.

Jack's eyes widen at their appearance, and he understands why North had said they were tough. They were both covered in weapons, which was very irregular for most of the spirits. They also looked like twins. Both were tall with slightly curly strawberry blonde hair, the boys' long enough to reach his neck and the girl's brushing her waist as she walked. She turns as her sharp eyes take them in, and he grimaces at the thought of her using the large blade strapped to her back on any of them.

"Val, Fever. Thank you for coming." North says somberly, and he moves toward the couple. Val steps forward to shake his hand formally, the muscles on his arm flexing with the motion. The girl just stands behind him, her eyes still moving around the room.

"No problem. What's going on?"

"Well… we're not entirely sure." North admits with a frown, but he gestures toward the globe where the lights continue to flicker out randomly but with alarming speed.

Aster watches from his spot against a column as the girl, North had called her Fever, moves closer to the globe. His eyes move over her and he tilts his head to the side curiously.

"What are you two the spirits of? Halloween?" He sneers slightly, and her head immediately turns, her large dark brown eyes piercing right through him. She faces him completely, and he stares at her outfit. It was basically a hooded, sleeveless crimson trench coat that had a lace up bodice and fell to her ankles. Her quick turn had allowed him a glance at the black hot pants she wore underneath, and the long slit in the back that allowed her more movement. Her forearms were covered with black fingerless gloves, and she finished off the look with black thigh high boots.

The only things that made her seem as if she meant business were the silver armor that covered both of her shoulders and the large sword at her back. There were also knives in a belt around her waist and a dagger strapped to her right thigh. Val wore something similar, but his trench coat was left open so his chest was visible, and he wore long black pants underneath.

"Bunny." North shushes him, and Fever just turns away from him, continuing to look at the globe and folding her arms across her chest.

"We know we're not exactly what you guys were expecting. I'm Saint Valentine, but you can call me Val. This is Fever, my partner." Val says, and Fever snorts. He gives her a warning glance before looking back at North. "We work together." Sandy jumps up and down and when he gets their attention he creates the figure of a heart out of sand. "Yes. I'm cupid." Tooth makes a sound of understanding and smiles, taking in the bow slung across his back and the quiver of arrows. "I create new relationships and Fever keeps them going."

"How?" Tooth asks, glancing over at the girl who seemed preoccupied. Val shrugs and smirks.

"I'm the sweet, she's the spice. Once I get them together she helps them get to the next level."

"I turn them on." Fever suddenly speaks up bluntly, and Val laughs lightly. After over a century of dealing desire, she was no longer embarrassed by it or talking about it to complete strangers.

"Essentially."

"What's so important about that?" Aster asks, but once again she ignores him.

"Without us, the population of children comes to a halt. Without us, you have no believers." Val says, with no small amount of arrogance. It was clear that he was tired of being treated as one of the lesser spirits. She hears Fever grumble something about being a broodmare under her breath and shushes her quietly before turning back to North. "We'll try to help in any way we can, but we need to know what is happening."

"Well as you know, we deal mainly with children." Tooth offers, and Val nods. "They have stopped believing."

"This has happened before." He interrupts politely.

"Yes, but this is different. It's being caused by adults."

"Lies and hatred are being spread quicker than the plague during the Dark Ages. It's poisoning the children and they are losing hope." Jack interjects. "The adults' behavior is affecting the children, and therefore it affects us." He emphasizes the last word as if to stress that it was important for them to understand that all spirits would eventually feel the change.

"Lies." All heads turn to Fever as she echoes Jack, and she is now watching him steadily. He nods slowly and frowns.

"Yeah. Lies and deceit." She nods after a moment and unfolds her arms, walking closer to Val.

"I should check with Truth. This sounds like something she can help with more than us." She says.

"It's worth a shot." Val agrees, but then Jack speaks up again.

"Wait, what?"

"She's my best friend." Is all Fever says and she looks at Val with purpose. "I'll be back." In the blink of an eye she disappears, and the Guardians stare at the spot where she had previously been.

"Wha?" Tooth gasps.

"We travel by finding individual heartbeats. We latch onto the signal and teleport there." He says in explanation, and then leans against the wall to consider what they could do once they got Truth on their side.

xoXox

Fever's heels land on the laminate floor of the church and she immediately looks up into the rafters for her best friend. She bites her lip in confusion when she doesn't see her and checks the rest of the nave, even behind the altar.

"Truth?" She calls out, her voice echoing off of the walls. She hears some homeless birds' wings fluttering against the ceiling and turns to see the figure that had disturbed them. "Oh." She almost smiles, and then she sees that there is something wrong. She had known Truth for over a century, but this girl she was looking at was ragged and disturbed. She moves closer so she is almost underneath her, and hears a sob come from her curled body.

"Go away." The voice wasn't even hers. Fever slowly reaches for her sword, pulling it out of her scabbard as her gut begins to scream at her to get out of the building.

"Come down here." She orders loudly, and there is a silent moment before the girl so near the ceiling moves slightly, peeking over the rafter at her. "Now." At that, the angel leaps from the rafters, her pristine white feathery wings waving so hard that the settled dust moves with the current in the air, burning Fever's eyes. She lifts her two handed sword as the black hair girl swoops over her head to land behind her. She stops as her bare feet touch the ground, and then she turns around, and Fever feels dread coil in her stomach at the dead eyes that meet hers. The pupils are dilated, and the hatred that fills her expression is frightening enough that Fever takes a step back.

This was _not _her best friend.

**Author's Note: **Yaay the first chapter! Thanks for reading and I hope I've interested you guys. I'm going to try to add a new chapter every couple of days depending on how many reviews I get (hint hint). But the whole story is already written so don't worry about being left hanging. I know how annoying that is. So if you liked this, review please! I'd love to know what you think.

Also, I tried to describe Fever's outfit as best I could without being too annoying about the details. So if you look up Sweet Pea's outfit from the movie "Sucker Punch," that's essentially what I picture her wearing, only with a red overcoat instead of black. I wanted her in something tough looking, but still sexy and feminine to match her personality.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Okay so here's chapter two as promised. I'm hoping this one will be more fun to read than the first but, you know, intros had to be made. Enjoy!

Recap:

The pupils are dilated, and the hatred that fills her expression is frightening enough that Fever takes a step back.

This was _not_ her best friend.

Chapter 2:

"I told you to go away." Truth growls, and then she is launching herself at the blonde, a terrible screech leaving her mouth. She raises her arms and brings them down, water slicing through the air. Fever dodges the blow that would have torn skin and crouches low, her dark brown eyes filling with fear for her friend.

"What the hell happened to you?" She mutters, but Truth doesn't hear her. She just continues to attack her with the fury of a true enemy, her water finally breaking through her defense and slicing Fever's arm. She lets out a pained shout and in her moment of weakness she is slammed to the ground by the furious angel.

xoXox

Val gasps and stands up straight as he feels pain radiate through him. North jumps next to him and looks him over with a confused expression.

"What is it?"

"She's in trouble." In a second he is following her panic and is greeted by the sight of Fever unconscious on the ground, Truth breathing heavily over her and looking ready to outright kill her. He immediately notches an arrow onto his bow and lets it fly, but Truth hears him and dodges quickly with a hiss. "Get away from her!" He sees her eyes and winces at the dark energy swirling in them. He lets loose another arrow but she dodges it as well, growling in a low voice.

"You will never stop it." Before he can ask her what she means, and who's behind her possession, her wings raise and she flies out of the dilapidated ceiling without a glance back. Val takes a deep breath and when he is certain that she is gone, he turns toward Fever and gently rests a hand over her chest, relief pouring through him as her pulse pounds against his fingers. They had learned very early on in their partnership that they could communicate with each other's souls, but what would happen to one if the other died was still unknown. He sighs and strokes her cheek lightly, and she groans as she begins to wake up.

"Ah, Fever." He sighs, and lifts her into his arms.

"You know I hate it when you do that." She grumbles, but her eyelids lower in response to the pain in her body, and when they finally open again she is back at the Pole and laid down on the floor with way too many loud voices around her.

"-happened?"

"Did you find who you were looking for?"

"Yes, she did. But it wasn't her." Val answers, and North frowns.

"What do you mean?"

"She's possessed." Fever manages to mumble, gaining their attention. She vaguely feels Val applying something to her arm, and winces. "Truth is an angel. She protects purity and compassion and defeats lies and deceit. I thought that she could help us. But I have a feeling that she's being used to bring what she's meant to reverse, out in all adults."

"Who is doing it?" Tooth asks softly, and Fever shakes her head with a scowl.

"I don't know." She was so angry, thinking about how someone could take the sweet, loving girl that she had become so close to, and turn her into a monster. "But I'm going to find out."

"And just how are you going to do that, sheila?" Aster speaks up in an arrogant tone. "You just tried to get answers and you almost came back without an arm." Tooth and Jack give him a warning look but he continues with a glare. "I really don't see how you're going to help us. We should have never sent out an amateur to deal with this. Obviously Manny made a mistake." Fever pushes Val away from her and stands to meet Aster's bright green eyes. She was only two inches shorter than him so it wasn't difficult, but it was hard to ignore the obvious lean muscle that was under the rabbit's fur.

"You want to start something, rabbit? Because so far all I've heard about you is that you paint eggs." She retorts, and he bristles from the insult. "Not very handy in a fight, is it?"

"Well you got your ass kicked by an _angel, _even armed with a _sword. _What does that make you?" He leans forward so their noses are almost touching, and she is slightly intimidated, but she doesn't back down.

"At least I'm _trying_ to do something. Why don't you get off your furry ass and grow some balls!" She snarls, and feels a hand pull her back as Aster takes a threatening step toward her.

"Enough, Fever!" Val hisses into her ear and pulls her away, and he turns her around to force her to look at him. She glances off to the side, hearing North scolding Aster quietly, but Val takes her chin in his hand and she scowls at him. "You will not act this way. I put up with it, but this is serious and I won't have you starting a shit-storm in the presence of the Guardians."

"Please, let's just calm down. We must focus on the real problem." North says, and Fever yanks her head out of Val's grasp and disappears without another word. The blonde man breathes slowly through his nose and brings a hand up to massage his temple, feeling a headache begin.

"I apologize, North. She's just lost her best friend, she's a little on edge right now." The older man nods in understanding but still doesn't seem completely pacified. "We will continue to look out for Truth, and the person behind this. Call us back if you find something out." With a polite nod, he too disappears, and the Guardians stand there for a moment before Jack snorts.

"Way to go, Bunny." He says, earning an irritated ear twitch in response.

"It's not my fault that there doesn't seem to be any more useful spirits to help us. So far they don't seem to have done anything at all-"

"They have found us a target. This Truth has something to do with how the world is changing. We will learn more about her from them." North says, and then settles a stern look at everyone. "We deal with the children, they with the adults. Though we are different, they are no less important. The man in the moon chooses everyone for a specific reason. Those twins keep the world spinning, Bunny. Without them, love would eventually die out, and it very well may be happening now. They are the ones we need."

xoXox

Fever stares into the dark night sky as she walks idly across rooftops, jumping across the small spaces in between the buildings. _Damn Aster._ Her job was a sore spot for her. It had been ever since she was chosen, but no one had ever made her feel so useless before as he had just done. She begins to wonder why it bothered her so much, and then brushes the thought off as quickly as it comes. She had more things to worry about than Aster's approval. As she continues to walk aimlessly, she hears a set of footsteps following her. She smiles and is instantly swept up to another time, before the world was so close to ruin. She had been new at her job, still working the kinks out, if you will. She smirks at her joke and pauses, hearing Val do the same behind her.

"_Why can't I do this?" Fever whispers to herself as she tries to make her fingertips warm again. She had been staring at her hands for the last ten minutes trying to figure out what she had done before. It was only her second day, and she just couldn't get the hang of it. She lets out a frustrated groan and sinks her head into her hands, wishing for something, anything to guide her. It is at that moment that she feels something that makes her gasp. It is a heartbeat, synonymous with hers. Her hands move to her chest as if expecting to feel another organ beating within her, but then she feels it outside of her body, but so close. She slowly turns around, and jumps up at the sight of a man her age standing near her with a smile._

"_I finally found you." Her eyes frantically search for a way out, away from him, but he calmly raises his hands in surrender and his eyes are gentle. "I didn't mean to frighten you. I've been looking for you, Fever."_

"_How do you know my name?" She whispers, still wanting to run. He bows to her and she wants to laugh. It seems so out of place. He looks like a handsome nobleman, though the bow and arrows across his back were somewhat strange as he was obviously not hunting._

"_The moon told me. Please, let me introduce myself. I'm Saint Valentine. But you can call me Val."_

"_Val…" She echoes, and her eyes snag on the bow and arrows, her brow furrowing. "Are you… Cupid?" He laughs and nods. "Why are you looking for me?"_

"_You were reborn just two days ago, were you not?" At her hesitant nod, his smile grows. "We are to be partners, you and I." She focuses on him again, and she can still hear his heartbeat, feel it even. It was so strange that she had to step closer to him. He waits patiently and her fingertips touch just above his heart, and then he laughs breathily. "Oh yeah, you're definitely her." She glances up and is startled at the heat in his eyes, and realizes that she had been able to send desire through her fingers as she had been trying to do for the last ten minutes. Her cheeks flush and she pulls her hand away. "It's alright. I'll teach you how to control it. We make each other stronger." She smiles slightly, already feeling more alive just from being in his presence. "I've needed some help for a while now. I just had to wait for you."_

Fever smiles at the memory, feeling Val's heartbeat just as strongly now as she did back then. Oh, how naïve she had been. She was truly thankful to him for showing her the path to which the moon had swayed her. She sighs and turns around to look at him seriously.

"Do you really think we're doing the right thing, getting involved?" She asks, and he shrugs.

"We don't really have a choice now." He says, and she frowns as she is reminded that Truth was in just as much trouble as the human race, even if she was being used as their downfall. "It is interesting, though." He doesn't continue, and she raises an eyebrow in question. "How you and Bunny seem to get along."

"We _don't_." Fever says, giving him a look that claimed he was an idiot for thinking such a thing.

"Exactly. But deep inside you two are so similar."

"What?" She nearly snaps at him. "I am _not_ like him!"

"Of course you are." Val laughs. "First of all, neither of you like to be mocked about your job or made to feel unimportant. He has to compete with Christmas, and we have to compete with the Guardians as a whole. Especially you, seeing as you're only a little over a century old." She rolls her eyes, feeling as if he were gripping at straws. And really, why was he even trying? So long as they did what they were called in to do, what did it matter if she got along with them? "And then there's the animal magnetism that you both have." She whips around to stare at him, wondering if he had lost his mind.

"Are you crazy?"

"Not in the least. You're the Spirit of Lust; practically sex on legs." He waves a hand toward her sensual outfit that barely conceals her generous curves, and she self-consciously folds her arms over her chest. She had never liked it when _he _pointed it out. He was like her brother and it made her uncomfortable.

"So?"

"Think about it. He's a rabbit, a species that is just naturally horny-"

"Val!"

"-_and_ he practically gives birth to Spring. He's a symbol of virility. And then there's you, just as hot tempered and probably the only person on the planet who has the passion and stamina to keep up with him." Her jaw drops and she is silent for a moment until she recovers from his words.

"What is _wrong _with you?"

"Oh please, Miss I-always-have-my-mind-in-the-gutter. I can tell just by how easily you two fight that you would be wild in the bedroom. Even I would pay to see _that."_

"You're disgusting." She deadpans and quickens her pace to put some distance between them, trying to ignore her burning cheeks. He just laughs and sticks close by as they continue their rounds.

xoXox

**Author's Note: **Good? Getting better? I hope so. Review please! And don't worry about Bunny having a rotten personality. It's happening for a reason that will come to light soon.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following. Enjoy!

Chapter 3:

The next day after the fourth couple had begun to fight, Fever was about ready to start shooting Val's own arrows left and right, not caring who they hit as long as they did _something._ She shakes her head as she feels their bonds breaking, the malice that they throw toward each other in their words and actions way too powerful for a mere bout of lust to cure. She checks in on another of her regulars, and sees that they too are on the verge of splitting up. It was not a pretty sight as the man carried a small duffle bag over his shoulder to the car, the woman in the doorway with tears in her eyes. Fever didn't even bother trying to find out what had caused them. She just knew that this had to stop. Just as the Guardians had said, the negative energy was beginning to trickle down to the children. She could see it in their eyes, and how their pulses seemed to rise in fear when they looked up at their shouting parents.

_This has to end. _The thought gives her strength as she teleports to the Pole hurriedly. While she couldn't do anything for those specific couples at that moment, she could try to make a dent somewhere else. She enters the workshop where she sees North focusing on a toy, and she knows that he is trying to temporarily distract himself from the situation if only for a moment. She understands completely, and knocks on the wooden door quietly. He instantly turns and is obviously surprised at the sight of her.

"Fever, come in, please." She does so and gets straight to the point.

"Compassion is disappearing faster than I can spread it, North. So many of my couples are already fighting, and it's not like them." The older man frowns and she takes a deep breath before looking straight into his eyes. "I have an idea. I'd like to find Sandy." His eyebrows rise in confusion but he doesn't hesitate to tell her that he should be in the Southeastern quadrant. "Thank you."

She focuses on one of her most often used landing sites and is instantly surrounded by golden strands of sand traveling in the air.

She looks up and sees Sandy floating on his golden cloud, focusing on weaving his dreams. Not wanting to startle him, she calls out as she begins to run toward him over the rooftops. He turns and sees her, and instantly he is smiling. She can't help but smile back.

"Sandy, I have an idea. It might be crazy, but I think it would help." He nods and creates a question mark above his head, lowering himself to her level. "I need you to focus on the adults in this quadrant instead of the children." He frowns and begins to shake his head, and she knows that he is trying to tell her that he can't control the dreams of adults, but she has a clever trick up her sleeve. "Trust me, Sandy. Just do it." He lets out a silent sigh and reels in his sand before shooting it back out into different houses, his brow furrowed in his focus.

When his sand simply swirls around the adults' heads with no effect, he frowns at Fever, but she just smiles and reaches out her hand, confusing the small man.

"Just trust me." She says again, and he reaches out one of his hands to hers, jumping slightly at the heat emerging from her fingertips. At that moment his sand begins to glow a soft red, and he can feel his dreams morphing in nature, from wonder and magic to sensuality and desire. He would have blushed if he could have, but he grins at the ability to continue spreading passion through them even as deceit and hatred attempt to wipe them out. After a few minutes Fever retracts her hand, and his sand returns to its bright gold. Even in that short amount of time she could feel the bonds of couples reforming despite the strain, and she smirks. "Nothing like a little wet dream to make you realize what you're missing." Sandy looks extremely uncomfortable at her statement, and she laughs apologetically before standing from her previously crouched position. "Sorry. Sometimes I forget who I'm talking to." She pulls her crimson hood over her head and brushes off her legs before winking at him. "Thanks. See ya around." He waves goodbye and begins to rise again to create more dreams for the children to replace the fear and pain caused by their parents' troubles.

Fever begins to run across the rooftops again, feeling the heartbeats around her pounding in their sleep, seeming to make her stronger. _Only one quadrant, but it's progress, _she thinks to herself as she wanders around. Suddenly she senses an odd heartbeat, one that is as strong as a human's but beating almost twice as fast. She stops in her path and her eyes dart around in the darkness, searching for the origin of the unfamiliar sound.

"I guess you're not useless after all." Her ears take in the low voice with an Australian accent and she is instantly on guard, trying to tamp down the immediate annoyance that it riles up in her. She simply ignores Aster as he walks out of the shadows to loom nearby. She jumps across an alley to land on another rooftop, and his eyes follow her lazily. "Aw, come on." He hops after her and manages to step in front of her path, though her eyes move to the side as she still tries to ignore him. She glances in at a house with the lights on, and feels some pride as she sees two people's bodies meet in a sensual dance. She smiles and continues to walk away from Aster, even when she can feel his annoyance spike at being disregarded. "What's the matter, all that sexual tension finally getting too ya? I'd imagine it's quite difficult, spreading so much desire and unable to do anything about your own."

He barely has time to react as she turns abruptly, her hand throwing a knife from her belt straight at him. He dodges to the side and his eyes meet her fiery ones. She is obviously riled up now, and it gives him great satisfaction to know that he caused it. Her pouty mouth twists into a scowl, and then she is gone, and he glances around him for a moment before realizing that she had teleported elsewhere. He tries to ignore the disappointment that floods him, and then he wonders why he should even care. He had been on alert looking for trouble when she had just appeared, but then he couldn't seem to stay away. Unfortunately he underestimated just how frustrating she could be. Aster shakes his head sharply, feeling a slight fog clear, and then he glances up at Sandy, who is still preoccupied with his dreams. With a scowl of his own he thumps his foot on the rooftop, opening a tunnel to the Pole, and dives inside.

When he resurfaces the globe room is empty, holding a sense of foreboding. He walks up to the globe and inspects the lights that have returned, if only temporarily.

xoXox

**Author's Note: **I know it's a short one, but how about this? If I get five reviews between now and tomorrow afternoon, I'll post the next chapter tomorrow evening. After that, the good parts really start for you Bunny lovers. ;) So come on, review please!


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **And here we go again! Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following.

Chapter 4:

Fever stares into the fireplace as the Guardians talk behind her. They had gathered that morning to discuss the newest problem; Truth escaping and continuing to spread lies and corruption around the world. While they had managed to make a little bit of progress, she had been steadily catching up and eventually hindering their efforts.

"We have to find her."

"Can't you just use your little radar to track her down?" Jack asks, and Val shakes his head.

"She's spreading _lies, _remember? That means that she can somehow block her heartbeat from us. We're flying blind." Fever closes her eyes at his tone. She didn't want him losing hope, too. They were fighting for every person on earth, but she was also fighting for her best friend. She couldn't let her be consumed by this evil. She lifts her arm up to inspect the wound Truth had inflicted. It was barely a scar now thanks to their quick healing. But it was a reminder that she couldn't give up on Truth. If they could turn her back to their side, she'd be an ally they couldn't discard.

"We need to find her." North says, and Fever turns as she hears a scuffle. Everyone is starting to stand and suit up for battle, and she feels a pain in her gut at the thought of Truth getting hurt by their hands.

"I agree. We can find her faster if we split up." Val says, and he looks over to where Fever is still standing by the fireplace.

"I'll stay here."

"But-"

"I'll hear you if you find her. But I want to watch the globe for any massive light outages. It's the easiest way to break down her location." He sighs but nods and they all exit the room, leaving it silent except for Fever's breaths. She walks up to the globe and wraps her arms around her middle, begging for some kind of sign. She idly wonders if Truth can even hear prayers anymore. She technically had lost her status as an angel. But she was still lost in that body somewhere, and when they found her puppeteer Fever was going to make them pay. "Come on, where are you?" At her whisper, the lights seem to flicker in response, but then they settle. She sighs and walks around the globe as it rotates, her eyes taking in every single speck of gold on every continent. And then she focuses on a spot in the Midwest of the United States. Her eyes narrow and she rests her hands on the railing surrounding the globe, leaning forward. _There! _A large area, practically a half of a state, was losing luminosity. She mentally sends the coordinates to Val before disappearing.

Fate seemed to be on her side because when she reappeared, Truth was about a block in front of her, on the run. Her best friend hears her and stops to turn around, eyes wide in disbelief.

"You just don't know when to quit." The gravely undertone makes Fever shudder, and she remembers that Truth is in there, and she needed to get her out. She couldn't be afraid of this demon and lose this chance.

"Truth, I don't want to hurt you. But I will if I have to." She bluffs, drawing her sword and widening her stance. Truth lets out an inhuman shriek and launches herself toward Fever, her nails razor sharp. Fever blocks the blow that would have torn her face open and rolls underneath the angel's body, gritting her teeth. _She's faster. _She grasps two knives from her belt and throws them toward her wings, and thankfully she hits them just right and red tinged feathers float to the rooftop as Truth cries out in pain. And just that sound, her _friend's _voice breaking through, makes Fever gasp and get off her guard.

Truth recovers quickly, her wings harmed but not mangled, and knocks Fever to the ground harshly, raising a hand sparking with energy high above her.

"She's not here, Fever! Only me!" She yells, and brings her hand down. Fever strikes her knee into the girl's underside, only managing to move her head the slightest fraction to avoid the blast. In the struggle she manages to get on top, raising another knife above her. However, she can't help but hesitate as she attempts to find a spot to hit without killing her. Truth smirks and kicks her off, and she stabilizes herself quickly, cursing her indecision.

"Damn you!" She isn't sure who she's directing it to, but then she runs at Truth again, this time striking out with her fists, throwing out punches that would have broken the bones of a mortal. Truth blocks them with her arms, her hands no longer carrying the dangerous energy. She scowls at the close combat, and attempts to throw her own punch, but her body's unfamiliarity with it allows Fever to hit her straight in the jaw, sending her flying to the ground. This time she doesn't hesitate, and when Truth struggles to get up, she leaps into the air and sends a roundhouse kick to her chest, sending the raven haired girl to the ground once again.

Truth screams in anger and raises both of her hands, sending out a tidal wave of water from her palms that makes Fever flip backwards to avoid it. The only thing that was saving her ass was the long days of the two girls practicing their attack strategies with each other. There was absolutely nothing Truth could throw at her that she didn't know about, or at least she hoped. Fever crouches low and is reaching for her discarded sword when she sees a red tipped arrow fly over her head and graze Truth's arm. She gasps and turns around to see Val notching another arrow, sending her a quick smirk. She grins back and runs toward Truth as the second arrow hits her straight in the arm, but the angel rips it out angrily before bringing a hand to her face and groaning.

Fever knows that the arrows Val used are meant to instill love in its target, and while they knew it probably wouldn't get the demon out completely, it would subdue it for a short amount of time. Very short. Truth's eyes, her normal eyes, meet Fever's just for a moment and there are tears in them, making her heart lurch. And then her pupils dilate again, and rage covers her face. She reaches out a clawed hand toward Fever, but the blonde jumps over her head and turns quickly, one of her hands wrapping around her throat. When she lands behind her, her other arm brings down the hilt of her sword to Truth's skull, and her eyes roll back into her head as she falls to the ground, unconscious. Fever checks her over to make sure she's not faking it before she sighs, her chest heaving from exertion.

"Nice job, sis." Val says with a smile. Fever can see the rest of the Guardians approaching behind him and she knows that he had called them all together right after she sent him the telepathic message.

"Thanks for the help." She sets her sword down next to her and pulls Truth's head onto her lap, watching her almost peaceful face.

"How did you find her with your radar missing?" North asks, and Fever glances up at him.

"I watched the lights. They gave me the correct coordinates, but it was mainly luck that got me here before she could run." She explains.

"No kidding." Aster snorts, and she gives him a cold glare before turning Truth's head slightly to the side, leaning closer and focusing on her skin.

"What are you looking for?" Val's words are lost as she moves Truth's hair aside, and her eyes focus on the black symbol on the back of her neck. She hears Val gasp and then their horrified eyes meet in a silent conversation. "Shit."

"Luke." She mutters, and then shakes her head as she realizes that this is much worse than they had expected.

"Who is Luke?" Fever laughs without humor.

"He's the Spirit of Lies. I suppose you wouldn't hear of him, being so focused on wonder and hope." She can't help but make the dig at the Guardians. They had it so easy, focusing on the positives in life while they were so close to the darkness that constantly tried to overturn the balance.

"Well, then why don't you just follow _his _heartbeat and kill him?" Fever holds back a nasty retort and instead responds with the facts.

"_Lies, _rabbit. He used his power to conceal Truth's heartbeat from us too, remember? And besides… he has no heart." She feels the surprise from the Guardians at that reveal, and she shakes her head again as she realizes just little they knew about some of the other spirits. She turns to her brother and they share a silent conversation with matching fear and horror in their eyes. Val reaches for his belt and then hands Fever an arrow. She inspects the black tip and frowns as she turns back to Truth.

"What's going on?" North asks, and then watches as Fever raises her hand with the arrow above her head before bringing it down over Truth's neck. Before he can shout, Jack's hand is around Fever's wrist, and his eyes are livid.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"You can't kill her!" Tooth screams, flitting over as if to protect the angel.

"Let us handle it!" Fever says, yanking her arm from Jack's gasp.

"No, you can't do this!" She had never expected the Tooth Fairy to be able to look intimidating, but she was impressed with her passion for life and not backing down. Unfortunately, they didn't have time to deal with this. Fever glares at the Guardians, seeing the disbelief and mistrust in their eyes.

"Look, we've been dealing with Luke for a lot longer than you have, so just let us do what we have to." Before they can respond, she brings her hand down brutally, forcing the tip of the arrow into Truth's skin. Her body immediately begins to convulse, and the Guardians back away in disgust as black sludge begins to shoot out from the wound. It is gelatinous, and seems to form a figure as it is completely purged from Truth's body. Jack raises his staff and North quickly gets his swords ready as the black form looms over Fever, turning to her and letting out an enraged shriek. It shoots toward her threateningly and she gasps slightly, jumping back and ignoring the thump of Truth's head on the concrete.

The sludge swipes out at her and she can just barely make out a boomerang moving through its body without effect. She glances behind the figure in shock as Aster throws out another weapon, and is instantly confused as to why he would care. That thought leaves as quickly as it comes though, because the sludge towers over her again, and she reaches for the dagger strapped to her right thigh, glaring at the figure. She can see its eyes now, glowing red and angry, and when it strikes for her she plunges the dagger straight into its chest, the only spot that will result in its death. She watches triumphantly as it curls in on itself and then dissolves into a black smoke that is carried away by the wind. Trying to ignore the other Guardian's eyes on her, she moves back to Truth where Val is inspecting her.

"It's gone." He shows her the clear skin that showed no evidence of the mark or the wound Fever had made with the arrow. She reaches for her eyelids and checks her pupils, sighing in relief when they are back to normal.

"So… is that it?" North asks quietly, not wanting to get his hopes up. Fever sighs as Val lifts Truth up into his arms, and the twins frown at him.

"No, it's not. That wasn't him. It was one of his leeches." The older man's eyes widen at the term and she just gives him a tired look.

"We need to get back to the Pole now. There are a lot of things you need to know."

xoXox

**Author's Note: **Sooo... yeah. The good parts can get going now that we've gotten this little bump out of the way. I might put the next chapter up tomorrow morning, we'll see. Review please!


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following. I especially want to thank everyone who reviewed for the last couple of chapters! I'm so glad you guys are enjoying this story. I hope you like this chapter as well!

Chapter 5:

After Truth is sent to the infirmary and North catches up with Sandy to check on his dreams, Fever goes into the globe room to check on the lights. There were less going out now that Truth was no longer under Luke's influence, but they knew that he meant business if he was willing to take on an angel. She feels around her for the heartbeats of the others, and sensing that they weren't going to be ready to talk for a little while, she moves over to the fireplace to clean her dagger. It was still covered with specks of black goo, and she needed to get the rest of it off to avoid contamination. She sits there for a while, using a cloth to get the sludge off, when she feels a presence looming over her. Her teeth grit together and she counts to three before speaking.

"What do you want?" Aster just watches her for a moment before moving to crouch in front of her, forcing her eyes to meet his.

"Why didn't my boomerangs work on it?"

"Simple. They weren't made to fight it." She says, and enjoys the annoyed look on his face when she doesn't give him a good enough answer. "Our weapons are designed to pierce through Luke's defenses. Something we made a priority a long time ago." She continues to wipe the cloth along her dagger, bringing it back to its shining state. Aster's eyes follow every motion of her hands, and she mentally rolls her eyes as she hears his irregular heartbeat increase even more.

"I don't know how to act around you." He says, and she looks up at him with a wry expression. "Your presence confuses me. I don't know what to think of you." She shrugs and smiles without humor before standing, making him do the same. She notices how he has trouble keeping his eyes off of her breasts as she does so, and she chuckles.

"It's my curse." She says, and lifts her dagger up to inspect its surface. Aster raises an eyebrow at the term, and she continues. "It has to do with my center. I'm charismatic to everyone I talk to. Male or female, it usually doesn't matter. Passion clouds the mind and they can't focus on anything, really. Whether it's positive or negative, their emotions get all riled up. Though you _do_ seem to be more susceptible to it than others." She smirks at him, earning a glare in return. "It's why you like to fight with me so much."

"I fight with you because you're a bitch and a pain in the ass." That makes her laugh outright, and she tosses the now stained cloth into the fire, making it rise and crackle. Black smoke rises from the flames and a low, eerie scream is heard as the goo is destroyed. She starts to leave, tired of their conversation, but he moves in front of her so fast that she stops, startled, and her hand goes to the knives around her waist on impulse. He is too close, and his eyes are leering down into hers. Her mouth is suddenly dry and she breathes in shakily as she feels the heat of the fire on her back and the heat of Aster's body at her front.

xoXox

Truth groans as she awakens, bringing a hand to her head. She sits up slowly, feeling her wings twitch and stretch out as she becomes aware of her surroundings. It is a bright room and she is on a cot surrounded by first aid supplies.

"What?" Her voice brings the attention of two people, only one who she recognizes. His face is enough to sooth her though, and she smiles slightly. "Val!"

"Hey, Truth." He approaches her warily, confusing her, and then he seems to look meaningfully into her eyes. "How are you feeling?" His tone makes her brow furrow in confusion, and then the memories of the last few days trickle back to her, and her jaw drops as she remembers how she had harmed Fever without faltering. She thinks of the anger that she had created and the lies that she had spread, the poisonous malice causing hatred throughout the world in so little time.

"Oh, God…" She whispers, tears pricking her eyes. "I'm so sorry." A sob rises in her throat and Val instantly wraps his arms around her, trying to calm her. Tooth slowly approaches as well, concern on her face, and the angel glances over Val's shoulder at her.

"Hi, sweetie. I'm Tooth." Truth nods and tries to smile at her.

"Truth." She gently pushes Val away from her and tries to hold in her cries. "Val, I didn't mean too, I swear. Luke escaped from the graveyard and got into the church. I tried to fight him but he just…"

"I know. It's okay." He says, rubbing her back.

"Where's Fever? Is she okay? Did I hurt her?" Her eyes widen at the possibility and Val shakes his head.

"No, she's fine." The angel sighs in relief and moves to get up from the cot.

"I need to see her." Tooth flies over to her side and puts a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I think you should rest some more. You didn't look so good after they got the… um…"

"Leech?"

"Yes, the leech off of you." Tooth glances at Val and he nods without even needing to hear her question.

"I'll go get Fever. She'll want to know that you're up." He gives Truth a smile before leaving the infirmary to look for his sister.

xoXox

Fever stares into Aster's eyes, seeing the desire in them grow as the space between them shrinks. She knows it is because of her natural magnetism, but it was kind of ridiculous. And if that was the only reason, then why was _she _affected? She tries to look away from his eyes, but he is so close that her vision is full of him. She is distracted by the suggestion of strength and muscle underneath his grayish blue fur, and decides that his eyes were a better image to focus on.

His nose and whiskers twitch with tension, and she can't help but smirk a little at the adorable and sexy contradiction, raising one of her hands to settle on his shoulder and pull him forward. She sends her heat through her fingertips, and feels the soft fur on his chest brush against her skin as he takes a deep breath. She tilts her head up just slightly, her lips centimeters away from his, and then she stops, making him growl in frustration. She laughs, and then hears another laugh from further away. She pulls away from Aster, letting her hand fall from his shoulder, and smirks over at Val who is leaning in the doorway, watching them. He shakes his head with a grin, and straightens.

"Fever, stop playing and go see Truth. She's awake." He says, and Fever slips around Aster's body to go down the hallway to the infirmary without a glance back. Val watches her go and then looks back toward Bunny, who seems ready to collapse.

Aster tries to catch his breath as his eyes trail down Fever's body, the panels of her overcoat fluttering behind her softly as she exits the room. His legs feel unsteady and he can hear his pulse in his ears. He glares accusatorially at Val, who just smiles and moves toward him, obviously trying to hold in his laughter.

"Just sit down for a minute, you'll be alright." Aster does as the man says, and practically falls to the ground as the heat dissipates from his body, clearing his head. "She forgets how powerful she is sometimes. A little joke to her can seriously mess someone up with enough contact."

"Why doesn't she affect you?" He can't help but ask, bitterness in his tone.

"Because she's my other half. I've been with her so long that I've grown immune." Val says with a grin and a shrug. "We're twins, remember?"

"But she's so young." Aster wasn't talking about her appearance, he was talking about her spirit age. He knew that Val had been around as long as the first Guardians, but Fever had only been reborn a little over a century ago. By spirit standards, she was practically a child. It was the main reason why he had doubted her ability to help them in this case. Obviously he had been wrong. The sight of her fighting Truth and then almost being engulfed by that horrible black sludge was still engraved in his mind. She was amazing, young or not.

"We're still twins." Val says, breaking Aster out of his musings. "The man in the moon decided that I needed some help, and so he created the perfect sister for me. I taught her everything I know, and we can communicate without words." They sit in silence for a moment before Val laughs again. "I have to say though, that no one has been able to rile her up quite as easily as you do." Aster stares at the amused grin on his face, not sure how to respond. "There's definitely something about you, Bunny. I'm just not sure what…"

xoXox

**Author's Note: **Finally, progress! Kind of... Well at least they got some more time alone. I think in order to keep the lovely reviews going (because I'm vain and you guys are awesome), if I get five reviews for this chapter, I'll post the next one immediately. If not, it will be in a couple of days. Haha!


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: **Okay because you guys are soooo awesome I am taking the time to respond to your reviews. They really do mean a lot to me. I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

**mlequithihn: **I'm glad I got you hooked early on. I was worried that the first couple of chapters would be kind of boring so I tried my best to keep them interesting. Also, I'm glad you like the fights. I don't write a lot of them so that was a bit tricky. And yeah, there is a lot of tension between Fever and Aster. I don't want it to seem as if they hate each other though. It goes a lot deeper than that.

**kamiccolo's rose** and** Amberly503:** I'm glad you guys are enjoying this and I will do my best to update often.

**VioletPetal:** Yes, I like keeping the heat between Fever and Aster. It's my favorite part to write. There is much more tension on the way, but it turns into a different kind of tension if you know what I mean. ;) So glad you enjoy my work!

**EncyclopediaBrittanica:** Yaay I love hearing that you love it, and thank you!

**TheMarchHare-GuardianOfCourage:** Thank you so much! I'm actually an English major, so I get TOO MUCH writing practice. I'm seeing that a lot of people are checking for quick updates, so I may put you guys out of your misery and update every day. I wanted to string it out because I didn't want the fun to be over, but I have some more fun ideas up my sleeve that will extend this for quite a while.

Chapter 6:

Seeing Truth looking like her old self was the most welcome sight Fever could have imagined. She runs to her best friend and throws her arms around her, not caring that Tooth was still in the room.

"Fever, I'm so sorry." Truth says, and is immediately shushed.

"I'm just glad you're back."

"I'm glad I didn't _kill_ you." Truth says with no hint of a joking tone, and then pulls away from her and looks at her full on. Fever feels self-conscious of her non-blinking stare, and then uneasiness prickles down her spine as she sees that Truth is looking through her, seeing her soul. "You're… different." Fever's eyes widen and the other girl tilts her head curiously.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She says, though she can't stop the flush that covers her cheeks. There was no point in lying to the Angel of Truth, she knew that, but she didn't want to think about what her friend was sensing. She wasn't completely sure of it herself yet.

"Mhmm." Truth hums, a smirk growing. Fever coughs uncomfortably before turning to Tooth, who was watching the exchange with a small smile. "So where am I anyway?"

"You're at the North Pole." Tooth says helpfully. "We brought you back here so you could recover. But if you're feeling better, we really need to tell North what you know about Luke." Fever nods in agreement and puts a hand out to Truth just in case, but the girl stands perfectly fine, folding her wings against her back. However, instead of following them out of the infirmary she smiles at Tooth.

"Can you give us a couple of minutes first?" She asks, and in seconds the two best friends are left alone. Fever fidgets uncomfortably under Truth's steady stare, and finally after a solid minute she can't stand it anymore.

"What?"

"Who is he?"

"Who?"

"The one who has you so flustered. No, it's not flustered." Truth looks her up and down again and lifts a hand under her chin as she considers her friend's new aura. "It's definitely agitated but… not entirely negative."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Fever says again, and Truth laughs.

"Oh, come _on, _Fever. I've known you far too long for that." She sits back on top of the cot and folds her hands in her lap, giving her a look that clearly said she wasn't going to let it go. "You're all up in a tizzy and I want to know why. It definitely has something to do with a guy."

"It does not!"

"Don't try to lie to me, it won't work, remember? Besides, I've had enough of lies to last me a lifetime." She says, and they sit there in somber silence for a few moments. "I know it's not Val." Truth laughs at Fever's disgusted look and grins. "That means it's either someone you've worked on, which is unlikely seeing as they're usually taken, or one of the Guardians." Fever works hard to keep her face impassive, but she was always kind of bad when it came to being stoic. "It can't be North. Or Sandy. Hmmm, Jack maybe? No." _Straight face, straight face._ But just as Truth says Aster's name, Fever's eyes jump to the wall nervously. "Oh, it _is _him! Really?"

"It's not like that. He makes me angry. Of course I'm in a tizzy." Fever says, folding her arms over her chest.

"How does he-"

"Oh, where do I start?" She scoffs, and starts to rant. "He's constantly putting me down either because of my age or my abilities, he obviously doesn't trust me-"

"And this bothers you?"

"Of course it does!"

"You want him to trust you?"

"Yes!" Truth grins, and Fever pauses before backpedaling. "I mean because we're working together."

"Of course." At Truth's amused tone, Fever scowls.

"You're starting to sound like Val."

"He's a smart man. And if there's anyone who knows about compatible relationships it's him."

"That's not funny. We are _not _compatible."

"Why don't you ask Val if-"

"We need to debrief the others." Fever interrupts, walking away from her best friend and into the hallway. She hears the angel laugh, and wants to punch something. Instead, she just leads her to the globe room where the others are waiting.

xoXox

"So this Luke is looking to destroy all truth and compassion in the world."

"Yes." Truth says, nodding. "He wants to use his powers to get the mortals to destroy themselves. This isn't just about the Guardians or the children, it's about humanity as a whole."

"We defeated Pitch, we can defeat him." Jack says cockily, and Truth glares at him.

"The boogeyman is a _flea_ compared to Luke. Pitch's plan was motivated by his need to be accepted, and he could only spread fear. Luke is the embodiment of corruption and evil. He spreads malice and violence, and he doesn't care who dies. He _craves_ death. It's the reason I had him sealed in the graveyard outside of my church. He's been around as long as the angels, never stopping his attempts to destroy humanity. The last time he tried this he started the second World War." Truth pauses to let that sink in. She needed them to understand that he was nothing to sniff at, and that they needed to trust them and work together if they were going to stop him. "You were all created to defeat the boogeyman. We were created to defeat Luke. Love, compassion, and truth are the only things that can counteract his evil. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't affecting you through the children's belief in you. So you need to trust the man in the moon's decision that you need us."

"We understand, Truth." North says, and she nods.

"First of all, I want to check the graveyard. There must be something there that can tell us how he escaped."

"Good. We need to get to the surface as well." The other Guardians look at North questioningly and he turns to them with a somber expression. "Children are still spreading lies about our existence. We need to work against Luke and give them proof that we are real, or we'll be in the same shape as when we fought Pitch."

"Alright. Come on, guys." Truth turns to Val and Fever, who grip her hands and they are about to teleport to the church when Aster speaks up.

"Wait. I want to go with you." He says, his level gaze on Fever.

"Why?" She asks, and when he just continues to stare at her, she narrows her eyes at him and sees that her heat had not completely worn off. His craving for closeness was because of the after effects of her touch, and she suddenly wishes that she hadn't been so tempted to fool around with him. She shakes her head in annoyance and turns to Truth. "Hit him for me." Her blue eyes sparkle in amusement and she lets go of Fever's hand to generate a sphere of water in her palm before throwing it directly at Aster's face. He falls backward from the force and the other Guardians cry out in fear for him. He simply shakes the water out of his fur and glares at the Truth.

"It's just a little holy water. You'll be fine." She says with a wink. Aster rubs a paw over his face, his mind feeling clearer than it had ever been in the last few days. There was no longer a fog confusing him, and for that he was thankful. But…

Aster looks back up at the trio, and his eyes still lock on Fever as she pulls her crimson hood over her strawberry blonde curls. Her big doe eyes still seemed to entrance him, and the sight of her made his pulse leap. Val senses the change and suddenly laughs, and everyone turns to him for an explanation, but he just shakes his head. He chuckles quietly and watches Bunny stand, his fur still damp from the wet assault.

"I would feel better if you took someone with you." North says after recovering from his shock and seeing that Bunny was completely unharmed.

"If you must send someone then it should be Jack. Luke can't protect himself or his leeches from being frozen." Fever speaks up, and Aster finds himself tensing as she outright denies his help. He scoffs and crosses his arms over his chest, glaring at the wall behind her head. Jack nods and flies over to them, taking Fever's hand. This time he can't stop a growl from leaving his throat and Tooth glances over at him. "We'll be back as soon as we can." With that the four of them disappear, and North looks over at Aster, Tooth, and Sandy.

"Bunny? You are okay?" He asks, and Aster nods, irritated. "Alright then. Let's go."

xoXox

Truth sighs as she sees the gaping sinkhole at the rear of the cemetery. It hadn't taken any headstones or trees with it, thank goodness, but it felt as if someone had punched her in the chest. While she knew that Luke was out there, it bothered her to see such hard evidence of his growing power.

"How could this have happened?" It was rhetorical, but she just walks around the hole and continues to look for signs that would lead them to him.

"Hey." Jack says quietly, crouching down with her as she looks into the hole. "What did you do to Bunny?"

"I just used my holy water to clear the haze that Fever created." She gestures to the girl who is walking around the cemetery, and the blonde scoffs and rolls her eyes. They can barely hear her mumble, "I didn't mean to" and Truth finds that she is able to laugh at the pout in her voice.

"What haze?"

"She touched him, I assume. She creates desire and passion, remember? It clouds the mind if it's strong enough." Truth tosses a rock into the sinkhole and listens as it tumbles down, trying to gauge how deep it went. Val walks behind them and smiles.

"It wasn't completely her fault." His words make Truth's eyes widen and she glances over to the girl who is too far away to hear them now. "Even after you blasted him, Bunny was still attracted to her."

"You mean, he really _likes _her?" She gasps, and Jack groans and stands, shaking his head.

"I can't listen to this. That rabbit's love life is none of my business and I really don't want to hear about what he desires." He says, making the other two laugh. Jack walks over to where Fever is crouched. "You find anything?"

"Yes." She mumbles, and her fingertips graze the grass, making him look. Among the soft green terrain are black stains, making the blades they touch curl up and shrivel. She pulls her fingers back before she touches them, and stands. "He's using leeches." At Jack's confused look, she motions to Truth. "The same kind that possessed her."

"You mean that giant thing that almost killed you?" She nods seriously and frowns as Truth and Val start to walk over to them.

"He's attaching his leeches to everyone he forced you to touch. They're sucking the love right out of them and implanting malice. We'll have to go to every single site and get rid of them."

"Every one?" At Val's uncertainty, she nods and shrugs.

"It's the only way to get the balance back into our favor. Without Truth he can't work as quickly. He has to work at building up the negative energy. That's why he targeted you." She says to Truth. "You made his job easier with your power as an angel. That, and his vendetta against you trapping him."

"If you follow their heartbeats and I follow the lies, I see no reason why we can't do it." Truth says, and Fever lets out a small smile.

"I'll go tell North and the others what we've found. If anything, I can follow them and keep an eye out for any other leeches. My black tipped arrows may not have affected you as much," Val motions toward Truth, "but they should completely destroy the leeches that have latched onto mortals."

"Jack?" Fever asks as Truth tells Val to be careful. The younger boy smiles at her with anticipation. "Ready to go hunt down some leeches?"

"You bet!"

xoXox

**Author's Note:** So it is official, after rereading all of your guys' awesome reviews, I am going to update every day! And even though there are a lot of you that are silent readers, I appreciate you keeping up with this story too! Your numbers keep me motivated! One more chapter of action next, and then the real "fun" begins! Mwuahahahaha! Sorry, I just love teasing you guys. Review please!


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: **Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Enjoy!

Chapter 7:

Their plan had worked better than any of them had expected, and they began to feel hope blossom within them as they continued to combat Luke's influence. Fever would pick out the couples that had been torn apart, and Truth would cleanse them with her holy water. As soon as the leeches were torn from their hosts and shot towards the trio, Jack would freeze them before they could get away and Fever would kill them with her blades. They were like a well-oiled machine, between their efforts fighting Luke's influence and the Guardians keeping the children's beliefs alive, both sides were beginning to feel as if they could survive this. All of the Guardians' weapons had been infused with Truth's holy water in order to give them an edge. While they were still doing what they did best, which was watching over the children, it was clear that they needed an advantage over their new enemy.

Fever watches the couples begin to reconcile and feels their warmth fill her, making her smile. Jack was also in high spirits, flying around and leaving frost on windowsills and power lines in his elevated mood. She could tell that his own actions had helped him feel more useful in this case. She didn't want the Guardians thinking that they weren't needed. They _were. _While Fever and Val used their love and passion to continue the lives of adults, the children were just as important. They were the future of humanity, and without wonders and dreams, they wouldn't grow into compassionate people. They really were all connected; the Guardians and the other Spirits, even the Angels. They just had different targets and occupations.

When they clear all of the leeches from two quadrants, they finally feel as if they can let their guards down, and it is at that point that Fever makes that very mistake. She is walking on the rooftops with a small smile, feeling victorious, and then something grips the ankle of her boot and drags her down. She lets out a surprised scream and grunts as her ribs hit the rooftop. One glance down makes her wish she hadn't. A coil of black gelatinous filth is pulling her down into an alley, and she lets out a frightened scream as she is dragged into the darkness.

"Fever!" She hears Truth yell for her but she is pushed further into the dark, more dark shadows covering her as two more leeches hold her arms away from her so she can't fight back. She struggles and gasps as she feels their negative energy surrounding her from the contact, and then she feels a blast of cold over her, making her shiver. She opens her eyes cautiously and sees Jack running toward her, slashing at the forms with his staff and freezing them. She gathers all of her strength to pull away, and their iced over limbs break under the force. She pulls her sword from her back and slices through them, hearing them shriek before they disappear, and she hears Truth's wings beating above them.

In the midst of killing the leeches, Fever feels her arms burn, and she looks down with horror as her skin turns an inky black, the staining creeping up her forearms all the way to her shoulders. The pain and darkness begins to crowd her mind, and she gasps, pulling her arms to herself. Jack pauses at her cry of pain and his eyes widen as he sees her blackened limbs. Her legs are also becoming corrupted by the energy, and when he reaches a hand out to her, she backs away, gritting her teeth.

"Don't! Don't let the leeches touch you!"

"What can I do?" He asks, looking around as if to find something to help her.

"Nothing. Truth can cleanse me." She looks above them for her best friend, but the angel is in the middle of her own battle, fighting off leeches that grab for her. She shoots her water out of her palms angrily, trying to defeat them as quickly as they are coming, and Fever feels a moment of dread. If she couldn't get to Truth in time…

Fever looks down at her body and sees that the darkness is up to her neckline now, and still moving. She lets out a frightened whimper and falls to the ground, the pain of hitting her knees on the concrete dwarfed by the pain in her soul as it begins to be corrupted. She feels her pupils dilate, and she lets out another scream.

"_Val!" _

In that moment the leeches seem to overwhelm Truth and Jack, and she feels a presence shadow her. But it wasn't her brother as she had hoped. Her eyes take in the large male form, looking almost completely human except for the gelatinous forms moving over his chest and the bright red glowing eyes in his skull. He grins at her, showing rows of sharp, angled teeth, and she shrinks away from Luke, clenching her eyes shut and turning her head away at the sight of so much death.

"Fever…" Her name on his lips makes her tremble, and she feels the darkness creeping over her face. She only had seconds now. "I wonder what happens to your brother, if I kill you." He laughs, making her flinch. "With you two out of the way…" His sentence drifts off menacingly, and she feels the last bit of her strength drain as the darkness crowds in on her vision, tightening her throat.

"_Val!"_ There is a blunt feeling of pain in her upper back, and then she feels relief pouring over her. Her eyes remain closed as she loses consciousness. The last thing she sees is Luke's boots backing away from her.

xoXox

Val breathes heavily as he watches Fever fall to the ground, his arrow lodged deeply into her back. He notches another and jumps down to the alley, hovering over his fallen sister with murder written in his eyes. The rest of the Guardians surround Luke, newly altered weapons at the ready, and his blood red eyes widen at the sight, knowing that he stood no chance against all of them. Truth shoots a razor sharp blade of water at him and he growls before dissipating just as the blade hits the ground where stood. North lets out a curse in Russian and searches the rest of the alley for him, but he and his leeches have completely disappeared.

"Jack?" He calls out, and the silver haired boy makes his way over to him with a frown, showing him that he was fine. Val reaches down to cradle Fever's face and he pulls the arrow out of her back, trying to ignore the jerk her body gives from the pain even as she stays unconscious. He looks up just as Aster lands in front of them, his green eyes running over every inch of her.

"What happened?"

"His leeches got ahold of her. She'll be okay, but… Truth!" He calls for the angel and she is there in an instant, moving her hands to Fever's temples. She closes her eyes and her hands glow blue, seeming to chase away the black staining on Fever's body. Soon her flesh is back to its normal color and Val sighs in relief, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. Aster watches the exchange uncomfortably, and Val just smiles slightly at him. "I know." Aster raises an eyebrow and Val's smile becomes a smirk. "And I approve." He stands and shifts Fever in his arms before walking toward the other Guardians.

"There's no sign of him." Jack says, and Val nods.

"He'll go into hiding. We have the upper hand now."

"At least we know how to get rid of his leeches. But it's obvious now that trapping him isn't enough." She frowns, and everyone can sense what she's going to say before it even leaves her mouth. "Humans have become too accustomed to hatred and corruption that no amount of magic is going to save them if he's still alive. We have to kill him." The only question that no one wanted to ask was, _how?_

xoXox

**Author's Note: **Alrighty then, enough action for a little bit let's get to the good stuff! Review please!


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: **Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Enjoy!

Chapter 8:

Fever dreamt of warmth. It was completely surrounding her, making her feel loved and safe. She didn't want to leave the peaceful place, but she knew that she had to, for the sake of all mortals, she had to face the darkness again at some point. She groans as her body becomes aware of the outside world, and the pain that had overcome her is now absent from her soul and her body. She opens her eyes and sees the white ceiling above her, her brow furrowing in confusion. Then Sandy's cheerful face is in her line of vision, and she can't help but smile. He was the reason for the beautiful dreams that she was forced to abandon.

"Thanks, Sandy." He nods as she carefully sits up, and she realizes that she is in the infirmary at the Pole. Fever stretches her arms and legs out in front of her and inspects them for any sign of lingering corruption, but it is gone. She sighs in relief and then Sandy hops up from his place on the chair next to her. She watches him float out of the room, confused, but when the door closes behind him, she merely runs a hand through her hair and enjoys the purity high left over from Truth's cleansing. She shivers, and quickly realizes why she's cold. Her overcoat, gloves, and boots are gone, leaving her only in her black hot pants and v-neck tank top. She makes a sound of annoyance and is going to search for the rest of her clothing, and more importantly her shoulder plates and weapons, when she hears the door to the room open and close.

She turns around immediately and is startled to see Aster standing there, one of his paws moving behind him to click the lock on the door. Her fingers grip the edge of the raised cot as he approaches her, his burning gaze moving over her. She wanted to think that he was checking her for injuries, but she knew by the way that his eyes lingered on certain areas of her that it wasn't the case. Fever breathes slowly, trying to keep her pulse from skyrocketing. Whether the need for calm was from fear, anger, or desire, she wasn't sure. He stops in front of her and crosses his arms over his chest.

"This is why I should have gone with you." He nods his head toward her place on the cot and his ears flick back in his irritation. She scoffs at his implication and glares at him.

"Believe it or not, rabbit, I'm not some helpless little child for you to watch after." She says, and his eyes flicker with emotion before he moves closer to her, placing his paws on either side of her thighs on the cot and leaning forward. He hears her quick intake of breath and resists the urge to smirk. She had moved back just a fraction to let him know that she was uncomfortable. She could try to act unaffected, but her body language didn't lie. He crowds her completely, straddling her legs that are hanging from the cot and he sees her eyes flicker over his shoulder to where her weapons were lying at the other side of the room. He can't help but chuckle.

"Not so tough without your little knives, are ya?" He whispers against her face, and instantly her eyes are filled with anger. She raises her fist, fully intent on clocking him in the jaw, but he catches her wrist and pulls it down before gripping the back of her neck with his other paw. He pulls her against him and forces his lips against hers, feeling her stiffen in shock. After a moment of being frozen, she thaws and tries to pull away, her legs squirming against his. Aster deepens the kiss, pushing his tongue between the seam of her lips, and he feels her pulse escalate under his grip.

His paw continues to put pressure against her neck, tilting her head to accommodate him while his other frees her wrist to run down her side, clutching her hip. She gasps again and he chuckles darkly against her lips as she is finally able to get a foot free to kick at him. He lets her go and she scrambles off of the cot, putting it between them as she gasps for breath, her eyes wide and locked on him.

Aster stares at her flushed cheeks and swollen lips and instantly wants to kiss her again. He makes a movement toward the cot between them and she takes a step back, still looking shaken. He grins and moves to his right, watching her move opposite of him, trying to keep the space between them as large as possible.

"The holy water didn't do shit, sheila." He says lowly, and her eyes get impossibly wider. "I still want you. And you want me, too." She shakes her head and tries to glare at him, but the look of being thoroughly kissed ruins the effect.

"No, I don't."

"Then why are you so out of breath?" He smirks and lunges to the right, and she turns her back on him completely as she runs around the cot toward her knives. However, she's too slow and he grabs her around the waist, pulling her back to him despite her angry cries and cursing.

"Let go of me, you asshole!" She screams, and Aster turns her around in his arms to make her look at him. Fever tries to get ahold of her thoughts, but they were so jumbled that she began to wonder which of them truly had the power to control desire. The feeling of his paw running over her body had sent stirrings all over her. Now he was way too close, his lean but strong body practically covering her completely, and she could feel every ridge and crevice of his physique, his soft fur tickling her bare flesh. It made her bite her lip to keep from letting out an embarrassing sound, but he saw it and just continued to watch her with that look in his eyes that made her abdomen contract.

"I'll let you go when you admit that you desire me, too." She musters up a glare and presses her hands against his body, trying to ignore the way it makes her hands burn with awareness. She pushes against him, but he doesn't budge.

"I don't." She says, but her cheeks flush and her eyes dart away from his. He pulls her even closer and nuzzles his face into her neck, his teeth nipping at her skin as his whiskers tickle her. She moans at the sparks that the touch ignites in her, and then tries to push him away again when she realizes what he is trying to do. He gives her neck a final nip before moving away, and she swallows roughly at the lusty plea in his eyes.

"You may be able to lie to me, but your body can't. If you don't do something about this soon, then I will." He lets her go completely and she almost falls to the floor as he stalks toward the door without a glance back, flipping the lock and exiting into the hallway.

She tries to catch her breath and stop the shaking in her legs. When she runs a hand over her hair to see if he'd mussed it at all, she hears familiar laughter coming from the door. She glares at the culprit and stands to get to the chair that holds her clothing and weapons, putting them on quickly.

"Your heart was beating so fast that I thought you were having a coronary." He laughs with a smirk, and her cheeks feel like they're burning. "E. Aster Bunnymund… who would have thought?"

"Shut up!" Fever yells at him as she pulls her hood over her head, something she always did when she was nervous or wanted to hide her face. She takes a deep breath and stands there for a moment, trying to make sense of what just happened. Val walks over to her and puts a hand on her back, stroking softly.

"You really _do _like him." She shakes her head, not entirely as an answer, but she closes her eyes and feels as if she should just level with him. He knew her better than anyone, and she couldn't keep her feelings from him due to their connection.

"He drives me crazy." She glares at his face and corrects herself to spare more humiliation. "I mean that he pisses me off. But there's obviously a part of me that is attracted to him too." She can practically feel him smile, and then she turns to face him completely with a frown. "Val, we're in too deep of a mess to focus on either of our feelings right now. And… I don't know if I can do this again." He shrugs, not really agreeing or disagreeing with her, and she sighs, pulling on her thigh high boots before putting on her scabbard. They exit the infirmary and walk down the hallway to the globe room. "Honestly, sometimes I just hate him." She thinks of the ways Aster had insulted her and mocked her, and she feels the familiar curl of anger simmering.

"Well…" Val says, making her look at him. "There is a fine line between-"

"Shut up, Val."

xoXox

**Author's Note: **Whoo hoo! Finally! Can I get a high five? Review please!

By the way, I think of the holy water as a purificator. It worked in the way that it removed the haze that was keeping Bunny from thinking straight. It got rid of the artificial passion that Fever created, but it didn't get rid of his attraction to her because it was true.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: **Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Enjoy!

**WARNING: **I mentioned this when I published the first chapter, but I'll say it again; this story is about to earn its M rating. This chapter contains some special Bunny personal "alone time". I don't know any other nice way to put it. Ye be warned!

Chapter 9:

North smiles at Bunny as he approaches him and Truth. They had been happy to see that more lights were burning brightly, and showed no signs of going out. North watches Bunny out of the corner of his eye before chuckling.

"A perfect match." He says quietly, and Aster's ear twitches as he catches the older man's words.

"What?" He asks, but only receives a shrug in response and Truth grins silently, her wings ruffling. The three of them sat in silence for a few minutes before they hear footsteps coming into the room. Truth smiles as she sees that Fever is back to her old self, and puts a hand on her shoulder.

"You feeling better?"

"Much." At her answer Fever sees Aster smirk from his spot against the wall, and wants to say something to let him know that she didn't mean because of him. But that would only bring more attention to them, and there was no way she wanted everyone to know what had transpired upon her awakening. "But I think something has happened. Something that gives us an edge."

"What do you mean?" North asks.

"When I was almost consumed by the leeches, I don't think Luke expected me to survive." Val flinches at that, knowing what it would probably mean for him as well. "I felt his influence corrupting me, but it went away after Val's arrow hit me. Truth's cleansing took away any chance of me dying or turning against you, but…" She takes a deep breath and prepares herself for what she is going to say. "… his shadows are still lingering." Truth's brow furrows in confusion and North motions for her to go on. "Before, I couldn't detect his heartbeat because he didn't have a heart. But after what just happened, I feel like his presence is stronger to me somehow. I think I can track him." Aster perks up at this, not because he was excited now that they knew how to find him, but because he knew that it meant Fever would put herself in harm's way more easily now. He hated seeing her nearly dead in Val's arms, and he never wanted to see her that way again.

"Hang on a minute. You aren't thinking what I think you're thinking, are ya?" He asks.

"I don't _think_ so." She chirps sweetly with a mocking smile. He glares back at her and blushes underneath his fur as he realizes how silly he sounds, and moves closer to the twins.

"You want to go after Luke alone."

"Of course not. Because you'd be right on my ass, wouldn't you?" She asks sarcastically, crossing her arms over her chest. His eyes dart down to her breasts and then settle back on her eyes, and he sees that she is regretting her words now. He smirks at the sexual innuendo and she turns her glare onto North. "It makes sense. I can track him and kill him with Truth's help."

"No." Aster says shortly and the others watch with wide eyes as they continue to bicker. They didn't seem to realize how close they were and that the tension between them was clearly visible. "You do that and you'll just end up back in a hospital bed."

"Despite what you think of me, I can take care of myself. Or do you need a reminder?" Her fingers graze the dagger at her thigh and his eyes follow the movement, but he just laughs.

"Give it your best shot, baby doll." Her eyes narrow even further at the nickname and she pulls it out of her holster, spinning it in her fingers.

"Gladly. Which would you rather lose? Your eye or your ear?"

"Ooookay!" Val breaks them up by grabbing Fever's hood and pulling her away from Aster before she could pick either option. His other hand takes the dagger from her and keeps it out of her reach as she struggles to make him let go. "That's enough out of you!" He scolds her and lets go of her hood but maintains a hold on her arm, silencing her with the look he had perfected within their first decade together.

"He started it." She grumbles, ignoring Aster's smirk.

"Well be careful before you end up _finishing _it." Val says, and her cheeks burn as she catches the sexual innuendo. He leans forward to whisper to her. "You want him to stop driving you crazy? Then stop reacting. He loves riling you up." Her eyes widen and he smiles, knowing that she wasn't expecting that. He then leans back and speaks in a normal volume. "Besides, you keep using language like that and we'll be kicked out. They were created for children, remember?" Fever lets out a small laugh, and North and Aster try not to look so offended. Truth shakes her head and gives a sly glance at Bunny, feeling the truth pouring off of him. _Something has happened between them, _she thinks to herself, and makes a note to ask Fever about it later. North clears his throat uncomfortably and brings everyone's attention back to him.

"Fever, I don't think it is a good idea for you to go after Luke alone." He says, and she frowns. "He knows that he is outmatched with all of us going after him. It would be foolish for any of us to risk a confrontation on our own." Val nudges her with his shoulder but she continues to glare at the floor. "Anyway, I don't feel that any of us should go after him right now. Sandy, Tooth, and Jack are out working tonight and they've had no problems. The lights are bright and we have Truth to keep an eye out for Luke wreaking havoc. I think we should take this time to recharge. Just go home for a while."

"Thank you, North." Truth says, and Val nods.

"Yes. I think that's a good idea." He looks down at Fever, who is still pouting, and pokes her cheek, making her glare at him. "Come on, sis, let's go home."

"Fine." She mumbles, and moves to grab his hand, but her eyes accidentally go to Aster, and the last thing she sees is his intense gaze on her before they teleport away. Truth sighs and turns to North with a smile before flying out through the skylight. North then stretches and yawns before turning to Bunny, who is still standing there lost in thought.

"Well, time to hit the hay, eh Bunny?" North gives him a salute with a wink and exits the globe room, and Aster just shakes his head before opening a tunnel to the Warren.

xoXox

When he is once again surrounded by the green grassy hills and rivers, he feels a calm blanket him and takes a moment to enjoy the familiarity of his home. The butterflies flutter around him and his eggs toddle around happily. He wanted nothing more than to fall onto one of the soft grassy patches and sleep for an entire day until the exhaustion was gone.

However, he couldn't seem to get Fever out of his mind. As he makes his way to his burrow all he can see is her face, the way her eyes light up when she's angry. It was her passion that he admired most about her, and he could see now that it was clearly her center. She was passionate about so many things; her pride, her best friends' safety, her job as a Spirit, and keeping all of humanity safe, even if it meant harming herself in the process. He only wondered just how far that passion went. It was obviously her center; she wasn't the Spirit of Lust for nothing.

He had been thankful that Truth had tried to help him until he realized that her water didn't do nearly enough. It had brought him back to sense; allowed him to think straight again. But it obviously hadn't taken all of his feelings for Fever away. He wasn't sure if that was good or bad. It meant that he wasn't being artificially influenced, which was comforting. It meant that he wasn't being played. But the fact that he was still so attracted to her was surprising and made him worry about what else he could feel for her in time.

As Aster finally makes it to his burrow, he crawls inside of the small tunnel before it opens up into his resting quarters. He hops onto the soft bed of grass and curls up, but finding sleep proved to be harder than he expected. Every time he closed his eyes Fever's heated eyes would make an appearance, and then her lips. When her breasts and legs emerge, encased in red and black leather, he finally groans and moves to lie on his back, staring at the grass ceiling above him.

He feels a familiar heat coiling deep in his abdomen and closes his eyes, giving in. He thinks about when he saw Fever for the first time, looking so different from the Guardians in her red lace up trench coat and thigh high boots. He had made the joke about her being the Spirit of Halloween mainly to keep himself from reacting to the sensual picture she made. He hums to himself as he remembers how she had threatened him just before she left with her brother. Oh, how he had just wanted to grab her and shut her up by whatever means necessary. While he enjoyed angering her, he was certain that he would enjoy making her quiet just as much.

Aster feels his hardening length moving out of its sheath and begging for attention. He slowly brings a paw down his chest and stomach before stroking his erection softly, moaning. _No, she would squeeze me harder._ His grip tightens and his eyes shut tightly as he savors the feeling. Fever would stroke him perfectly, bringing all of him to attention before she smiled at him with those big doe eyes. Then she would dip down and take him into her mouth, sucking his tip and swirling her tongue around him as she stroked the rest of him. Aster twists his paw at the base and uses the soft pads on his other paw to massage the head, groaning. _Not enough. _

He imagines grabbing a fistful of those silky strawberry blonde curls and pushing her further down onto him, hearing her gag as he filled her mouth and touched the back of her throat. She wouldn't mind though, she would just continue to suck on him while he watched her cheeks hollow out. He imagined what he would say to her, and it suddenly seems so real that he can smell her, the perfect mixture of jasmine and vanilla. And he can feel the soft skin of her breasts against his thighs as she continues to please him.

"Look at me." He whispers roughly, and she does, her eyes so full of desire for him that he gasps and his hips thrust forward, making her let out a muffled sound that drives him crazy. He begins to use the paw in her hair as a guide, moving her up and down while thrusting his hips up to meet her. And then just as he would be ready to cum, he would make her stop and pull her lips off of him, watching her pant and gaze at him. And she would beg…

"_Please, Aster… please…" No, that wasn't right. She didn't seem the type to beg. "Aster… fuck me!"_ _That's more like it. _Aster groans and quickens his pace as he imagines her riding him, her back arching as he stretches her so much that she would cry out every time he filled her. His paws grip her hips and pull her down harder on him, and she continues to moan and scream. _She would be loud. _He would enjoy making her cum from his cock alone, no other stimulation. And he would make her watch him. He thinks back to that night on the roof when she was determined to ignore him, and he growls through the pleasure his mind and actions are conjuring.

"Look at me, baby doll. Look at me." His breath is ragged now that he's so close, and he gasps as his testicles tighten with impending release. "Shit!" She continues to moan and leans forward to look into his eyes just as he told her to, her swollen lips parting as her walls tighten around him. "Cum for me, sheila." Her eyes finally shut, unable to stay open due to the pleasure ripping through her, making her tremble in his grasp, and she screams his name. "Aahhh! Oh crikey… oh fuck!" Aster shouts loudly as he cums all over his hand and chest, grinding his hips into the grass and groaning as the pent up frustration and lust leave him.

He lays there as he catches his breath, feeling his fur become sticky and warm. He didn't even care. All that mattered was that his desire was sated, if only for a little while.

xoXox

**Author's Note: **... I still can't believe I wrote that... I'm fairly sure I'm going to hell at this point. Uhh… maybe review? Hehe. I'm a little afraid of what you guys think this time.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: **Whew! I'm so relieved that you guys don't hate me for that last one. I had never written a scene like that before and I was seriously considering just taking it out. You can always count on me to try something unusual and risky. Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! This chapter is more of a look into Fever's past. I hope it's not too boring. Enjoy!

Chapter 10:

Fever sets her overcoat onto her bed and sighs as she sits down for a moment, feeling her feet finally stop aching from constantly being used. She couldn't even remember the last time she had slept. _Probably since I was almost turned into one of Luke's leeches. _The thought makes her shudder and she takes off her boots to switch into a comfortable pair of slippers. She pulls on a red tunic and gathers her sword and knives before making her way to the armory.

She runs her fingers over the gold and red towers of Cyprus, feeling as if she could finally relax. Val had assured her long ago that no one else could find them there. As their main way of transportation was through teleporting, they had made their home in one of the dimensions that opened up to them while they traveled. Only others who could teleport and see the portals to different dimensions could find them, and as far as they knew, there was no one fit those criteria.

Small cherubs flitter around her, carrying arrows and knives that need to be repaired. She smiles slightly at them and continues into the vault that holds their most important weapons. She sets her sword down onto one of the tables and it is instantly taken by one of the little creatures to be melted down into a new one. They rarely repaired her sword or dagger in case it retained a weak spot. If one of them got too dinged up from use or she thought the hilt would break, she just got a new one and had the old metal reused. She hands them her dagger and all of the knives in her belt as well, and they instantly begin to check them for any damage.

Fever goes to the wall that holds all of her swords, and she stares at them for a moment before picking one that was identical to her last, lifting it in her hand and checking the balance. She twirls it and slashes it in the air before deciding to take it, and grabs another set of silver shoulder plates as well. As she stares up at the weapons on the wall she is taken back to when Val first taught her how to fight. She had not been prepared at all when the moon chose her to be a Spirit. Even after being introduced to his world, she didn't expect to be fighting. But she had quickly learned that with the good came the bad, and she needed to be prepared. He had been so patient with her, teaching her how to keep her balance while using the sword. He had helped her aim improve immensely so she could fight from a distance by throwing her knives, and most importantly he had helped her find her own strength. At that thought she bites her lip and turns away from the weapons.

"I'll come back for the knives later, okay?" She asks, and the cherubs nod and squeak at her. She leaves the armory to go back to her room and sets the items onto the bench by her window, sitting down to watch the fluffy clouds move across the sky in between the pillars. She cuts off her tie to Val, feeling the need for some privacy without him in her mind and soul. That was something he _hadn't _taught her, but she had learned on her own after a couple decades. There were times when she just didn't want him to be able to feel her. Her eyes move from outside to her lap as she gets lost in her memories, of why she had been chosen for her specific job.

_She had been a passionate woman for as long as she could remember, but never had she even considered doing what John was accusing her of._

"_John, I swear, I didn't cheat on you!" She cries out, her eyes filling with tears as her fiancé continues to look at her like a stranger. She didn't both trying to touch him. He had already pulled away from her twice. She knew that her touch was the last thing he wanted right now, convinced that it was somehow tainted._

"_I heard it straight from the guy you were with, Fiona! I can't believe you're trying to lie your way out of this. I thought we agreed that we'd always be honest with each other!"_

"_I am being honest. I didn't do it. I don't know who you spoke to, but it's not true. You know me!" His eyes lower to the floor and he laughs wryly._

"_I thought I did, but I can't do this anymore." There is a moment of silence until Fiona speaks up._

"_What are you saying?" She whispers, and when he doesn't look up at her she strides over and grabs his chin to make him look, raising her voice. "What are you saying, John?"_

"_I don't want to marry you." In that one sentence she all but collapses, and as the tears run down her cheeks John gently pushes her aside to exit the kitchen._

"_John…"_

"_I need to go."_

"_John, we need to talk about this. You're acting-"_

"_Ridiculous?" He turns on her and she stops in her tracks at the anger that is in his eyes. He had never looked at her like that before, and it shakes her to her core. "Ridiculous is you ruining something great, Fiona." He leaves through the front door of their home and slams it behind him. She stands there, wrapping her arms around her stomach as if to hold back the pain, but the sobs start and don't stop, and soon she's lying on the couch in the eerie silence of their once happy home._

_She stayed there all night, waiting for him to come back so they could apologize and straighten everything out. But he never came home. The next knock on the door was from the police, and they had sat her down and watched her carefully as they explained that her fiancé was dead. They had suspected her, of course, but somehow she had managed to clear her name. But that didn't give her any closure, any comfort. _

_John had spent that entire night drowning his sorrows in vodka, and when he had stumbled out in front of a carriage he had signed his own death warrant. She had never known him to drink more than a glass or two of wine, and she marveled at how easy she had lost him._

Fever feels her tears splash her hands and lap as she relives the pain. She didn't understand how it had happened back then, how she had lost him to such stupidity and lies. After she had died, quite ironically, at the pointy end of an arrow during an archery accident, she had learned a lot about that night. She had learned how Luke himself had spread the lie, had made it consume John to the point that it caused him to kill himself indirectly. She had known that he would never look at her with such hatred, and now she knew that he never would have had it not been for that demon.

She thinks about Truth; how her best friend had been on her way to cleanse the lies that destroyed their relationship but was simply too late to stop the outcome. The girls had bonded a lot after that. Fever didn't blame Truth for not making it in time. She was thankful that she had been watching over them, and after she found out that Luke had been trapped within holy ground shortly after her tragedy, she was able to find some closure. And Val had taught her how to defend herself and others against deception and malice, which she did with the passion that formed her center.

And then there was Aster, who had done nothing but turn her world completely upside down. She didn't know if she should feel guilty about having such strong feelings for someone else after the death of her fiancé, even if it _had _been so long ago. Was there even an expiration date on her first love? She wished that things were different, that she was in a time and place where she felt completely free to give herself over to her feelings for Aster. Unfortunately, she was just going to have to see how this all played out.

Now that Luke was back, she couldn't help but feel like this was personal. His targeting Truth and herself, tearing apart all of relationships that she and Val had created; he was definitely trying to destroy humanity, but he was making sure they got to see him do it. _Full-tilt diva. _She scoffs and stands from her bench, reaching up to wipe away the tears from her cheeks. Her eyes harden at the thought of Luke's plan, and she vows to kill him herself before he can steal any more souls.

xoXox

**Author's Note: **So now you guys know a little more about Fever. Review please!


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: **Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Enjoy!

Chapter 11:

Fever walks along her normal route, keeping an eye out for any malicious intent. She is happy to see that love and desire is still thriving, and despite the after effects of her most recent blast to the past, she finds herself smiling. She had reestablished her mental connection with Val just in case something happened, but everything seemed to still be in order. She catches movement out of the corner of her eye and reaches for her dagger, but then relaxes when she sees Truth floating down toward her. The raven haired girl smiles at her, and then reaches forward and hugs her. Fever doesn't even need to ask what it's for. Her best friend always knew when she was thinking about her last love. They part and Fever sits on the edge of the rooftop, leaning back on her palms. Truth sits next to her and they savor the first moment of peace they had felt in a while.

"I wanted to talk to you about something." She says, and Fever glances over at her. "When you said that you could sense Luke… are you really planning on killing him yourself?" The blonde sits there is silence before nodding firmly. "Fever-"

"I can do it, Truth." She interrupts her quietly. "I have to." Truth sighs and nods in understanding.

"Okay." She turns slightly and reaches into the white sash around her waist. She pulls out a small pouch and shows it to Fever, who tilts her head curiously at the familiar shapes. "I had these made for you. I assume you know what to do with them." She drops one of the bullets onto Fever's palm, who inspects it. It seemed to be full of some kind of sparkling liquid. "I made them out of my holy water. There is so much truth and purity in them that if you aim right, they should cleanse Luke completely."

"We could save the world from hate and corruption, and set it onto the path of eternal loving and abundance." Truth nods.

"There are thirty of them, enough for two magazines."

"Thank you." Fever says sincerely, taking the pouch from her. Truth rests her head on her friends' shoulder for a moment and smiles before she perks up and stares into space. Fever turns to her in confusion and watches her bite her lip to hold in a smile. "What?" Truth just shakes her head and stands before making a sudden exit, and Fever sighs and leans back onto her palms to watch the city below.

However, it doesn't take seconds before she hears that irregular heartbeat, and she rolls her eyes as Aster steps out of the shadows to tower over her. She tries to ignore how she suddenly feels warmth flow through her, and her pulse speeds up traitorously, and doesn't say anything. He stands there for a bit, silent, and then he crouches down behind her and wraps his arms around her waist, burying his face into her hair. Her eyes drift closed and she tilts her head to the side when his lips move under her jaw to trail down her neck. He is stopped by her shoulder guards and growls in frustration, his paw trailing down her front and squeezing her breast through the bodice of her coat. She manages to laugh and sit up straight, putting her hand on his paw to stop him.

"Stop." It pains her to say it, but she does, and his mouth leaves her neck. He sits behind her and rests his legs on either side of her body, keeping his arms wrapped around her waist. He settles his chin onto her shoulder, trying to ignore the hard metal covering it.

"Do you give up?"

"Of course not." He smirks at her stubbornness, but is happy that she doesn't push him away.

"What did Truth give you?" She moves under him and shows him the bullet, and his ears flatten against his skull as he inspects it. "It's not my first choice. It's impersonal and… brutal. But we need to get rid of him once and for all." His nose twitches at her tone and he moves one of his paws to stroke her strawberry blonde curls, bringing her eyes to his.

"This seems pretty personal to me." He says, and she looks away uncomfortably. "What did Luke do to you?" She knows he's not talking about the most recent incident when she was almost lost to them. She takes a deep breath and finds her courage when he gives her middle a comforting squeeze.

"He killed my fiancé." Fever feels him tense against her and waits for a negative reaction from him; confusion, pain, anger. But there is none. He is simply silent, so she continues. "When I was still mortal he fed the lie to my fiancé that I had committed adultery. He made something ugly grow in John that was never there before. I tried to get him see the truth, but he wouldn't hear it. He got drunk that night and stumbled out into the street in front of a carriage." She hears Aster gasp and shuts her eyes for a moment before she is sure that she won't cry. "When I died and became the Spirit of Lust I promised myself and John that I would keep people from falling for the same lies that tore us apart." Aster still doesn't say anything, and she worries that she has managed to lose him, too. Lies had taken her last love from her. She didn't want the truth to take this one away, too. "Please say something, Aster."

"I'm sorry." He whispers into her ear, and she can finally breathe, hearing the sincerity in his voice. "I too have lost my loved ones." Her eyes widen at that and she turns around in his arms to look at him head on. "My entire village was wiped out. I'm the last of my kind."

"I'm so sorry." While she had lost many, she had gained so much in return. But Aster had lost absolutely everyone, and it made her feel badly for even saying anything.

"Hey." He puts a paw under her chin and brings her ashamed eyes back to his. "It's alright, baby doll." His thumb brushes away a tear that has escaped and rolled down her cheek, and her lips twitch into a small smile. He smiles back and leans forward to kiss her. Fever responds by wrapping her arms around his neck and parting her lips underneath his immediately. He hadn't expected that, but he just holds her tighter and allows one of his paws to slip underneath the panels of her overcoat to wrap around her thigh, pulling her flush against his body.

As his tongue brushes hers, she lets out a small moan and her fingers stroke the soft fur at the back of his head, tickling his ears. His other paw begins to pull at the laces of the bodice, and she breaks apart from him, her hand moving to cover his. He glares at her despite his shallow breaths and drowsy eyes, and she shakes her head with a smile.

"Is this going to be a pattern with you?" He nearly whines, and she laughs lightly and climbs off of his lap to sit on the rooftop again, trying to gain back the sanity that left her from the kiss.

"We're on top of a roof. I have too much class for that." She sniffs with a smirk, making him laugh. Her eyes become sincere again and she sighs. "Aster, I want to. But…" She takes a deep breath and straightens the lacing on her bodice, silently wondering how he had managed to get the knot and so many of the grommets undone so quickly. When all of the laces are redone and tied, she turns back to him seriously. "Until Luke is dead and I can live without revenge in my heart, I can't." It was unfortunate, but it was the truth. She knew that she shouldn't want revenge, but this was an opportunity for her to save others from Luke, and if she managed to find closure in doing so, then so be it. Aster sighs in frustration and turns to her, his eyes impatient.

"I'll give you time, but I can't wait forever." Fever smirks as she catches a glimpse of the _reason_ why he can't wait, and he just shrugs, unashamed. She leans forward and kisses him lightly, pulling away before he can deepen it. "Especially if you keep teasing me like this." She laughs at his gruff tone and stands, brushing off her overcoat.

"I won't make you wait forever. I promise."

"And where exactly are you going?" He stands as well and she dances away from him as he tries to catch her around the waist again.

"I need to get some heavy artillery." He smirks and puts his hands on his hips, making her roll her eyes at his implication. "Don't start. I'll see you later."

xoXox

As soon as Fever found a pistol that was capable of holding a fifteen round magazine, she went into their firing range where Val usually kept his archery skills sharp. She pulls up one of the cardboard cutouts of a person and raises her hands, holding the gun steady and pulling the trigger strongly, sending loud popping sounds echoing off of the walls and making her ears ring. After a few shots she stops and checks the cutout, seeing that she had gotten all four into the chest of the silhouette. A small smile grows as she sees that her aim with knives is just as good with a gun. However, when it came down to it she really hoped that she would be able to use it. She never wanted to sign up for fighting, let alone killing. But it was clear that this was the only option. She hears Val come in next to her and he crosses his arms over his chest, observing the holes in the cut out.

"So…" He says, and she turns to him curiously. "You fuck the rabbit yet?" Her eyes narrow and she lifts the gun with one hand toward the silhouette, not even looking as she squeezes the trigger… and feels great satisfaction from Val's flinch as she shoots the cut out straight in the crotch. "Alright, jeez. I'm going." He mutters the word "crazy" under his breath as he leaves the range and she smirks at having sent him on his way so easily.

xoXox

**Author's Note: **I was torn about what to use for the fatal weapon. I really don't care for guns so much but holy water infused bullets just sounded too cool to pass up. More action is coming up next! Review please!


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: **Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Enjoy!

Chapter 12:

When the twins arrive at the Pole the others are already there, and there is a tense atmosphere in the room. Everyone was anticipating what would happen that day, and hoped that it would end quickly and without any casualties.

"Okay, so here is the plan." North says, and begins to go around the room assigning duties. "Myself, Tooth, and Val will stay behind in case something goes wrong. There's no sense in all of us getting caught with no backup plan. Fever, you will be our main fighter in the field seeing as you have the killing shots." She nods and her hand pats the holster at her thigh that held the gun armed with pure bullets. She had moved her dagger to her left thigh, and had her new sword strapped to her back. "Truth, Jack, Bunny, and Sandy will go with you to take on the leeches while you fight Luke. Understood?"

"Yes." Fever says, and she glances over at her partners' somber faces. No one wanted to say what they were thinking; that they hoped they would all come back, and unharmed. "Is everyone ready?" At their nods she closes her eyes and focuses on the shadows that have seemed to be looming within her since she had nearly been consumed by Luke's leeches. She doesn't search for a heartbeat, seeing as he has none, but the dark energy that follows him seems to have its own pulse, and she latches onto it and allows her built in radar as the Guardians called it, to lead her to him. The darkness manifests in one specific area, and her eyes shoot open. "I've got him. Hold on." She clenches her hands around the two she holds and prays that the others in the line do the same. And then they disappear from the Pole and land on solid ground in the middle of a small town. It is night there, and difficult to make out much, but she can feel Luke's presence nearby. "He's here. Keep your guard up."

Sandy floats into the sky on his golden cloud and Truth follows him, the couple trying to take advantage of the high ground. Aster draws his boomerangs and Jack raises his staff. Fever stands between them, her sword drawn and ready. Obviously Luke was expecting them, because it was only seconds before his leeches were surrounding the trio on the ground. The gelatinous forms seem to rear back and shriek a battle cry before launching themselves toward the group.

Aster throws out one of his boomerangs and it soars through the air before making contact with one of the leeches, slicing through it as a hot knife through butter. The form screams before breaking down and disappearing, and the battle officially begins. Truth and Sandy stay above the ground, keeping an eye out for any trouble. Sandy uses his whip to contain those that he can reach, squeezing them as if a constrictor until the joy and wonder from his sand incinerates them. Fever stays between Jack and Aster, the three of them creating a triangle formation to keep each other's backs guarded.

At first they were doing well. Leeches were being destroyed left and right, none of them getting the chance to touch and infect anyone, and there didn't seem to be any more appearing.

xoXox

Luke watches his demons take on those who were determined to kill him. He wasn't a fool. He knew that he didn't stand a chance against all of them. If he could just get them separated, he could pick them off one by one. His red eyes land on the youngest Spirit, efficiently cutting down every leech that is within her reach. He smirks and sends out a message to his followers to come to him, and they do so, drawing her attention away from her friends and the battle. Her eyes land on him, barely visible just on the edge of the trees that lead to the park, and he laughs. In an instant she is running away from the others in pursuit of him, and he turns and runs, knowing that she will chase him.

Fever runs as fast as she can, her sword still in her hand, trying to catch up to Luke before he can disappear like the coward she knew he was. She hears Aster yell out for her to stop, and then Truth's voice meets her as well.

"Fever, no! Stay close!" Truth attempts to fly toward her, but she is blocked by a sudden onslaught of leeches, all of them reaching for her legs and wings to bring her down. She quickly begins to fight them off, her eyes desperately watching Fever disappear into the trees. Aster tries to go after her as well, but they are surrounded by leeches that have seemed to come out of nowhere, their only intent to keep the others from reaching their separated comrade.

Aster's eyes widen as his vision is taken over by blackness, and then he throws his boomerangs around his body in a circle, lashing through the figures and making room for him to leap upwards and out of the fray. Once he is no longer surrounded, he finds the weak spots in the leeches' formation; they were clearly not looking to kill them all, they were trying to distract them. The thought makes Aster worry about their masters' plan as he continues to race around them, slicing through them with his weapons. Jack freezes the ones he can reach before smashing them to bits and Truth shoots out spheres and blades of holy water in every direction.

_What is he waiting for?_ Aster turns back to the trees where Fever had disappeared and sees more leeches coming toward him, trying to keep them all corralled and unable to go after the prey that was foolish enough to leave the herd. Aster's eyes narrow in concentration as he focuses on the life around him, feeling the energy in not only his friends, but also in the plant life. He lets the energy rise up within him, and the trees seem to dance, their branches moving and shaking. His eyes dart to Truth, who is still creating holy water and spreading it with no attention paid to where it lands, and he thumps the ground strongly with his foot.

Roots sprout out of the ground and shoot into the air, growing in size as Aster influences them to fight back against the darkness. He directs them into the path of Truth's holy water, and the angel cries out in surprise when they clash, seeing the green and brown plants seem to glimmer with purity.

The roots continue to curl and grow, and Aster throws out his boomerangs once more, giving them something to follow, and they shoot toward the remaining leeches, smashing them and cutting through them with precision. Aster lets out a triumphant sound as the leeches begin to pull back, but are caught up by the unruly plant life. Truth gasps as she sees the roots come alive, and she moves away from them as they continue to pierce through the leech's defenses, sending them reeling and shrieking in anger.

"What the?" She mutters to herself. She had known that the Guardians had ways to protect themselves, but she never considered that the earth could be used to protect them in return. The giver of hope was obviously more connected to the earth than she had expected, and at the moment she was very happy for her oversight. The leeches eventually lose greater numbers than they had expected, and they begin to dissolve into the air, leaving no trace other than a sense of dread in their attackers. "Wow." Truth mumbles as she lowers herself to the ground, taking in the sight of the roots and trees settling back down. The branches above them stop swaying angrily and the roots pull themselves back into the ground, shrinking in size to return back to their normal unanimated state. The broken seams in the ground close, and eventually there is no sign of their distress, either. "Good job, Bunny." She checks over everyone to make sure they are not contaminated by the negative energy, and seeing that they are all safe, she turns back to Aster. "How did you know that would work?"

"I didn't." He says, shrugging. "But your water works best, so I thought maybe I could use it to my advantage." Truth nods, and then looks around worriedly.

"Why did they all leave?"

"Because Luke was just looking for a way to distract us. We have to find Fever." With that Aster begins to run in the direction of the trees where he saw them disappear, and Truth flies above him right on his tail, the others further back in pursuit.

xoXox

As Fever closes in on Luke's back, she raises her sword over her head and swipes at him. He looks over his shoulder just in time and dodges before holding his ground with a menacing smile.

"Now, now. Let's not get hostile." She leaps forward and tries to strike him again, but he turns into mist and disappears. As she turns in a slow circle, reaching out to feel his presence, she is kicked in the back and sent to the ground. She lands with a grunt and quickly rises again, grasping her sword just in time as a leech tries to attach itself to her. It shrieks as she slices it and dissolves, but there are more, and now she is beginning to regret separating herself from the others. "You never were strong enough. You couldn't even save your precious Jonathon." She feels grief tear through her and growls, swinging her sword around her body to catch two more leeches that had gotten too close. His voice continues to find her through the noise of metal against viscous flesh and shrieks of death.

"Shut up!"

"Oh! You _are _still sore about that, aren't you? It was for your own good. Anyone who was foolish enough to fall for one little lie…" Fever feels her eyes begin to burn as his voice mocks her, and as she ducks an aerial assault, she puts her sword back in the scabbard on her back and draws her gun. She stands and immediately shoots off two rounds, her eyes focused on Luke's chest where his heart should have been. His eyes widen as he recognizes the holy water nature of the bullets and he dodges quickly before glaring at her and turning to mist. The rational side of her mind tells her to conserve her ammo, to wait until she has a target. But she is so angry and frightened now that she continues to shoot into the dark, the leeches around her scattering. _I will not be overcome by the darkness that killed him! _

She hears something behind her and sees Luke closing in on her, but this time when she pulls the trigger all she gets in response is a short click. She gasps in fear as he continues to get closer to her with a murderous expression. In her panic she had gone through the entire first magazine, and there was no time to grab the second from her belt. He was already upon her.

Her eyes widen as he takes over her entire field of vision, and the malicious energy rushes over her so powerfully that she screams in terror, curling in on herself on the ground and feeling tears run down her cheeks. And just as quickly as he came, he disappears into the air with a mocking laugh, the leeches following him. She lets out a sob as she continues to lay there on the cold ground, feeling weak and alone and terrified.

xoXox

Aster catches sight of a figure in the distance and speeds up, calling to the others. They rush through the trees and Aster's heart stops for a beat before he realizes that she is alive. He takes in her vulnerable position and he crouches next to her and pulls her into his arms, trying to bring an end to her pain.

Fever flinches as she feels someone touch her, but then when she recognizes the warm green eyes that look down at her with worry and sympathy, she wraps her arms around Aster's neck and buries her face into his chest, letting the tears flow.

"He… he almost…" She gasps as her words break and Aster just shushes her and holds her closer, shaking his head. He didn't want to hear what almost happened. She was safe, and that was all that mattered. And when they got back to the Pole she was going to be in so much trouble for not sticking to the plan and putting herself in danger. Truth sets her hand on top of Fever's head and gives a concerned look to Bunny before whispering that they should go.

xoXox

**Author's Note: **Yeah… sometimes Fever is an idiot. Review please!


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: **I'm so glad you guys like the action. There's more on the way! Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Enjoy!

Chapter 13:

Upon returning to the Pole, Val immediately ambushes Fever, checking her over for injuries. He raises an eyebrow when Aster refuses to let go of her hand, but says nothing.

"I felt you panic. What happened?" He asks, resting his hand on her shoulders as if to make sure she didn't run away again. While he was glad that he had given her the confidence to take on Luke by herself, he never expected her to do so. She was usually more rational than that. And now he was terrified that she may do it again.

"I almost had him." She says quietly, her eyes empty. "I had him… and I let him get my head out of the game. I started shooting, and then I just got scared." Her mouth twists as she admits it, and she lets out an angry sigh. "I lost him because I got scared."

"You weren't the only one, honey. He ran because he recognized the power of the bullets." Truth says, trying to make her feel better. "He just used your one weakness against you." Fever knew that she was talking about John's death, and she feels her throat spasm with the beginning of another sob. It had happened so long ago, but the last few weeks had seemed to rip open the wound again. And she couldn't focus on killing Luke while she still had guilt and fear in her heart.

"We'll get him." North says, a promise in his kind blue eyes. With one more sigh Fever turns to Val and mentally begs him to allow her this one moment alone.

"I need to go for a little while." She says, and after a moment he nods, letting go of her. She looks over to Aster, who frowns at her, ready to deny her request, but Val gives him a look that makes him nod and let go of her hand. She kisses him on his furry cheek for a moment before teleporting out of the Pole. Val watches Bunny frown and can practically feel his worry, so he claps him on the shoulder in a brotherly manner and smiles.

"Don't worry. She'll be okay."

xoXox

Fever walks among the grass, her eyes unfocused. Her feet knew the way after so many visits, and didn't even both to look for the name anymore. The tree leaves rustle around her and she admires the sun peeking over the horizon, seeming to gleam off of the headstones. She slows her steps and when she reaches the right one, she kneels and sits down onto her legs, her eyes rising to the writing on the stone. _"My beloved John." _When they were dating he had joked that he didn't want anything outrageous on his headstone when he died, and he was right. It seemed just enough. She smiles even as she continues to cry, reaching her fingertips out to touch the stone gently, announcing her presence.

"Oh, John." She whispers, leaning back and just looking at her lap for a moment. "I don't know what's happened." She takes a deep breath and hopes that he can hear her. Being best friends with an angel had its perks, but Truth would never tell her when he was around. She just told Fever that he could always hear her, and being the Angel of Truth, Fever had trusted her. "I never _ever _thought that I would become obsessed with killing. It's something that only happens to monsters like Luke. But…" She clenches her eyes shut, the words making her heart ache with shame. "I want to kill Luke so much, John. He killed you, so I just _have _to…" A long moment of silence passes and she opens her eyes to look directly at the headstone that held the name and dates of her first love. "I feel like I'm losing myself to the darkness that caused me to lose you." She thinks of the way she had been so willing to take Luke on alone, just to finally have the knowledge that he was gone, and then her failure. Aster's face enters her mind, the way he had held her while she cried, and she instantly feels guilty for thinking of him at the burial site of her fiancé. Another tear runs down her cheek, and her shoulders shake. "I don't know what to do… I need your help…"

At that last whispered cry, she feels a wave of warmth cover her, and her brow furrows in confusion as she considers that the sun isn't up enough yet to explain the feeling. She turns back toward the headstone, and her jaw drops at the sight of a misty form coming out of the stone. However, it wasn't dark and viscous like Luke's leeches. It was white and transparent, and undeniably human.

She gasps and moves her legs from under her as it continues to move toward her, and then it seems to condense to her level on the ground. Fever watches with awe as it creates a form that is incredibly familiar; the dark hair, dark eyes, the strong chin. The figure smiles at her, and the dimples that she had once loved so much make an appearance in his cheeks. _John. _She can't even say it out loud, afraid that any sound may make the figure disappear. His smile widens, and his arms reach out for her, wrapping around her shoulders and pulling her to him. She doesn't move, just feels the warmth against her, the transparent figure still somehow tangible. She feels his spirit touch his lips to her forehead, and her eyes drift shut, his warm voice tickling her ear.

"_I'm here." _Her fingers grip the grass at the intense feeling of happiness at hearing him, and she lets out another sob. _"He will take care of you." _Her eyes widen and she looks up at him, his eyes seeming to laugh at her. _"But first, you must defeat Luke. I will help you, Fiona. Just trust me, and yourself." _He pulls her close one last time and kisses her temple before the mist begins to dissipate, and Fever sits there in shock for a moment, once again alone in the graveyard. She takes deep breaths, trying to make sense of what she just saw and heard. John's meaning was clear, and it gave her the strength not only to smile, but also to stand. Now she knows what to do, and knowing that he would be there with her was all the comfort she needed.

Fever opens herself to the darkness that she had once been so afraid of and hated with her entire being. She breathes it in, and feels Luke's presence. Her eyes turn to the entrance of the cemetery, and there she can see Luke standing there, his leeches beginning to tear themselves from his body to leap towards her in a giant mass of gelatinous malevolence. But this time she doesn't run or even flinch. She draws her sword with one hand and grasps her gun with the other, meeting Luke's gaze head on. His eyes narrow and she bares her teeth in a snarl.

"Come on!"

xoXox

**Author's Note: **Dun dun duuuuuun! Only two chapters left. I can't believe it! I hate how short this one is so I might post the next one later today. Maybe. Review please!


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: **Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Enjoy!

Chapter 14:

Val gasps and doubles over as he feels darkness swarm him, and the others jump and look toward him with concern.

"Val?"

"It's Fever." He gasps, and they are instantly on alert. "She's taking on Luke by herself."

"What?"

"You said she would be okay!" Aster yells, his eyes filling with anger.

"I thought she would be."

"Where is she?" Aster demands, drawing his boomerangs and ready to open a tunnel. _This can't happen. She was supposed to keep herself safe!_

"I don't know."

"You don't _know?"_

"Just find her with your telepathic connection!" Jack yells.

"She's cut me off. She doesn't want me to find her." Val says with a pained look.

"I can't find her either." Truth says with a concentrated frown. As an angel she was usually able to find whoever she needed to. She shouldn't be having any trouble. She focuses on the block that she reaches as she tries to find Fever in her mind, and then a bright white light takes over her vision. "She…" Her eyes narrow and she lets out a surprised gasp. "A spirit is shielding her from me. Val!" He sees the familiar look in her eyes and nods.

"It's him. She's at his gravesite. Come on."

xoXox

Fever had never felt so strong in her entire life, mortal or immortal. It was clear that John was doing much more than watching over her; he was giving her strength and speed that was evening the playing field. Luke notices the change in her and his red eyes narrow as he searches for some kind of weakness, anything. No malicious taunting would break her this time. She had a spirit on her side and he was pretty sure who it was. He had made the man kill himself to bring her further down with him. He had wanted her to follow John into darkness, but instead she had risen as a Spirit to work against him, and now she had risen above her own darkness to best him at his own game. He had underestimated both of their souls after all.

"Damn…" His low curse is lost to his own ears in the screeching of his leeches, and he is going to call them back till another day before he realizes that he has lost sight of the girl. He turns around wildly, his eyes searching for her, and then suddenly she is above him, coming down for a vengeful strike of her sword. He dodges and growls at her, more demons removing themselves from his body to fight against her. However, she just slashes through them with speed that shouldn't have been possible.

He begins to get worried and just turns his back on her and runs, but she leaps above his head and lands in front of him, her sword slicing through his left arm, sending it falling to the ground. He lets out a pained scream, watching his limb twitch for a moment before dissolving, and he barely catches her triumphant smirk before he catches her reaching for the gun in her thigh holster. Luke lets out an angry shout and dodges the bullet that nearly grazes him, and he lashes out at her outstretched arm. Fever's eyes widen as she catches his intent, but she can't pull back fast enough.

"No!" His remaining hand latches onto her and the last of the leeches formed to his body release him in favor of her flesh, creeping up her arm as the black staining begins to once again cloud her brain. She feels the strength leaving her again, being drained, and not even John's spirit can help her now. _No! I have to survive this! I have to end this! _Luke laughs as the tendrils of evil begin to overcome her, and her frightened eyes meet his.

"Don't you see, Fever? The world will be devoured by lies and malice. You couldn't stop me before. And you can't stop me now." She keeps her eyes on his as she attempts to move her burning arm. She could twitch her fingers, and there still seemed to be some mobility. The gun is right next to his foot. If she can just… "A pity that the darkness in you just isn't powerful enough to defeat mine." She doesn't allow his words to get to her this time. She knew that there was darkness in her because he had put it there. And thanks to him, now she could use it to her advantage.

"There is darkness in me, Luke…" She says, and ignoring the pain growing in her suddenly heavy limbs, she grabs her sword from the ground and slices at Luke's knees. He cries out in pain as his tendons are cut and he falls to the ground, his hand reaching out catch his body. He snarls at her and tries to get up, but she picks up her gun and, with a deep breath, raises it to his chest. Fever feels her pupils dilate as she is overcome by his wicked influence, the entire peachy complexion of her flesh covered by sludge. "… but it will be gone soon."

In her last moment of awareness, she pulls the trigger with both hands, sending the holy water infused bullets straight into the empty cavity of his chest. His body jerks from the impact, and then it begins to disintegrate before her eyes. As his flesh turns to dust and falls to the ground, the leeches around her begin to do the same, and the hold Luke had over her disappears. Her limbs become light again and her mind clears completely, the sudden ability to breathe deeply making her gasp for air as if she were underwater.

The dust that was Luke and his leeches is carried away in the wind, and she feels the sun finally reach over the horizon, bathing the cemetery and what feels like her entire world in comforting heat and hope. A small smile touches her face as she feels a shift in the atmosphere without Luke's lingering presence. It felt happier, safer, exhilarating, and full of possibilities.

Fever hears a commotion behind her, and turns to see the Guardians and her friends running toward her. She lets out a laugh, feeling overjoyed, and Truth grins back, already feeling the change as well.

"Fever, you…" The angel gasps and then rushes up to her best friend to embrace her. "You idiotic girl! We were so scared!"

"I'm okay. Everyone is going to be." Fever says, holding her tightly. She peeks over the other girls' shoulder and sees Val glaring at her, but he has a smile on his face as well. The Guardians are watching her with awe that is quickly overcome by happiness. Well, except for one of them.

She bites her lip as Aster runs toward her, his expression absolutely livid, and she gently pushes a laughing Truth away when he approaches them. He moves from all fours to his full height and glares down at her, opening his mouth to yell at her for her stupidity and carelessness. But then she reaches up to the leather strap across his body holding his boomerangs, and pulls him down slightly to cover his mouth with hers, her other arm wrapping around his neck.

He groans at the unexpected contact and then his arms are around her waist, his lips moving against hers passionately, pouring all of his concern and love for her in that one act. She smiles into the kiss, even when she hears Val making a comment about "not wasting any time." She and Aster break apart for a moment, and a small laugh leaves her. She holds Aster close, finally able to do so without the doubt or guilt hovering over her. It is like an emotional release, and then she is overcome by the fatigue that suddenly hits her and her eyes drift shut as she sags against him. But she knows, as she loses consciousness, that she will be safe and happy so long as she has him.

xoXox

**Author's Note: **Okay folks. The next chapter is going to be the epilogue. I have to ask so I can make alterations if I need to; do you want Aster and Fever to finally get some "alone time?" Because it's not cute or fluffy. It's what you'd expect from these two after all of the sexual tension in the past so many chapters. If there's ever a time I need to hear from at least a few of you, it's now! Please let me know!


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: **Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! I really really mean it. You guys are awesome! Enjoy!

I think Aster and Fever officially have a couple name: "Faster." Sounds kind of dirty so it's perfect for them! Thank you, **blank.** I read that and I have been referring to them as such in my head ever since your review.

**WARNING: **Alright guys, I literally wrote the ending scene in the middle of a crowded coffee shop. Talk about awkward… I assume that if you're still reading after that scandalous chapter 9, you don't really mind these scenes, but I'm warning you anyway! If you don't like Bunny loving, turn away now! You guys asked for it, so here it is!

Chapter 15:

_Thank you for my family._

_Thank you for my friends._

_Thank you for my home._

_Thank you for my food._

_Thank you for peace._

_Thank you for love._

_Thank you for life._

Truth smiles and closes her eyes as she feels the prayers drift over her, savoring the peaceful and loving energy that emanates along with them. It was sometimes hard to believe that only a year ago, the world had been on the brink of collapsing. Darkness had taken over, bringing out the worst in people. There had been deception, malice, violence, loss of hope, and sometimes even the loss of life. As an Angel she had never wanted any pain to come to anyone. That had changed once Luke was once again attempting to ruin humanity. But as an Angel of Truth, she had been able to right his wrongs. With help from her best friend, she had been able to defeat him with her center of purity, and despite having to use deadly force to do it, she didn't regret it in the least.

The prayers of those who had been able to find peace since his absence helped the guilt fly away, and the fact that she had maintained her wings proved to her that they had indeed done the right thing.

Since Luke's death they had all worked hard to set the world back to rights. Truth had commenced banishing dishonesty and wickedness from all hearts. The Guardians' worked to keep magic, wonder, wishes, and hope alive in the children, and without the preoccupation of greed and unkindness, their lights had remained glowing even into their adolescent years. Val and Fever continued enhancing love and desire in adults; and that in and of itself offset the temptation of wickedness.

Love was alive again in the world.

People respected and helped others with no expectations of receiving anything in return. Prejudices were being wiped out. Famine and povery were becoming scarce. There were no struggles for power. War was becoming nothing but a terrible memory, and something never to consider beginning again. The Earth was respected and treated as the gift that it had always been… and it thrived.

There was just _love._

And that was more than any of them could have ever asked for.

xoXox

Tooth smiles as she lays a quarter underneath a child's pillow, taking their tooth and their fond memories of childhood to be forever preserved.

xoXox

Jack laughs along with a group of children as they join together to lift the large icy head onto a man made of snow. When they succeed, they share a small moment of celebration, holding hands and marveling at their creation. And then they consider how they can make it even better, even more beautiful.

xoXox

North chuckles to himself when he realizes that he will have to increase the number of toys for the next Christmas. For the first time in history, there were absolutely no children on the naughty list. He shakes his head in amusement and joy, and moves further into the workshop to concentrate on bringing even more wonder into their lives.

xoXox

Sandy weaves his golden sand throughout the night sky, keeping children's wishes alive even as they sleep, enhancing their imaginations and their hopes for the future.

xoXox

Fever walks quietly along the edge of the roof, peeking into the lives of those who share their love every day with a significant other. She sees the embraces, the shared kisses, the looks of adoration that Val inspires, and the passion that she awakens within each and every one of them. She clears her throat lightly and Val turns around from his position in front of her. She smiles with purpose, and he smirks, waving her off.

"Go ahead."

She grins at him and gives him a nod before teleporting away, making sure to temporarily sever their connection as her boots land onto soft green grass. She walks along, trailing her fingers over the foliage surrounding her, making the leaves practically rise up to meet her. The flowers at her feet seem to dance, their petals so velvety and fragrant that she can't help but inhale deeply, closing her eyes. She stretches out a hand to gently stroke the wing of a passing butterfly, and she grins as she hears the rapid, fluttering heartbeat that she loves so much. She opens her eyes and makes her way down into the burrow, crouching slightly.

When she gets to the bedroom she immediately takes off her armor and weapons, setting them off to the side. She is in the middle of taking off her boots when a warm body moves behind her. Fever smiles as Aster's paws go around her to the bodice of her overcoat, his fingers working eagerly at the laces. She feels his breath on her neck and works faster to get her boots off.

She stumbles slightly when his teeth nip at her throat and Aster chuckles, turning her around when she finally kicks her other boot away. He finishes unlacing her and pushes the overcoat off of her shoulders. She shimmies a bit to help him and smirks when his eyes go straight to her breasts, barely concealed in her tiny tank top. He moves to remove it too, but she shakes her head and demands a proper welcome home, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him soundly.

He closes his eyes to savor the feeling, his paws moving to her rear. He puts pressure on it, making her back arch and pushing their groins together. She lets out a breathy sigh and pulls away, instantly feeling his paws pulling at the hem of her top. She just raises her arms as he pulls it off of her. She moves to kiss him again but he crouches down to remove her hot pants. She rolls her eyes and settles her hands on his shoulders as she steps out of them, and then gasps when his lips trail over her navel.

"Aster." He moves up her body, his paws stroking her thighs, and then his tongue laps out at her nipple. She moans softly, and decides that if she stood any more her knees would collapse.

Fever pushes him away gently and pulls him by the hand to their new bed. She had explained to him that there was absolutely no way she was going to sleep on grass. He had called her high maintenance, but in the end they had managed to get her bed from home into the burrow.

As soon as Fever lays down onto the comforter Aster covers her body with his, and this time she doesn't allow him to get out of kissing her. She locks her hands behind his head and pulls him down, her tongue lashing out to meet his. He responds gladly, placing his hands on either side of her head as they express their love for one another. When she has to part for air, she opens her eyes and smiles at him, and feels her heart swell as he does the same, his eyes full of adoration for her. She always loved when he looked at her like that. It made her feel so extraordinary and special, and she looked at him the same way.

However, tonight she didn't want him looking at her as if she were a delicate treasure. She wanted him looking at her with pure lust. She runs her hands down his shoulders and back, allowing her nails to graze him lightly as she warms her fingertips, sending ripples of desire through him. His eyes instantly darken and a shudder wracks through his body as his breathing becomes heavy. She smirks at him, knowing full well the effect that little trick had, and she feels his claws dig into the blankets beneath them.

"Did you miss me?" She asks coyly, lifting her head to place a wet kiss under his jaw. He nods slowly, and then moves his hips over hers, and she can feel that he is already extended and hard. She closes her eyes briefly at the feeling of him on her inner thigh. It would be so easy to just shift slightly and relieve the tension, but she wanted to play with him a bit first.

"I always miss you." Aster mumbles as she continues to kiss over his fur.

"Prove it." She says with a smile, and giggles as he practically jumps away from her, letting out a loud sound of pleasure. She had snuck her hand down to his erection and with just a fingertip, shot her warmth straight through his tip down to the base, making him swell even further.

Aster's paw moves from the blanket to her breast, cupping it before squeezing it hard enough to make her gasp. He continues to caress it as his mouth goes to the other, giving it passionate bites and strokes of his tongue. Fever continues to move her hands over his body, this time without using her warmth, but only her touch to instill desire. She strokes the lean muscles on his stomach, purposefully avoiding his erection despite his attempts to thrust at her hand. She flicks his tail playfully, hearing and feeling him growl against her breasts, and her other hand moves to his head to stroke his ears.

Not wanting to be outdone, Aster removes his mouth and moves further down her body. She glances at him curiously, and he just smirks before grabbing her ankles and pulling her further down the bed. When she is close enough he leans down and spreads her legs, moving his mouth to her center and taking a long slow lick. She instantly moans and her hands move to grip his shoulders. He glances up and sees the pleasure on her face, and it encourages him to keep going, moving his tongue against her clit. Her hips try to lift off of the bed but he pushes them back down and holds her there, feeling her fingers digging into his skin but not really minding.

He continues to flick her clit before moving his tongue to her entrance and pushing it in, the wet muscle pressing against her sensitive walls. Fever lets out a wail as he begins to thrust his tongue and moves a finger up to massage the little bundle of nerves above it. She moans louder at the extra stimulation, and Aster watches her face closely, waiting for the sign that she was close. Her brow furrows and her lips part, but just before he feels her muscles begin to contract he pulls away from her completely, sitting up above her.

Fever lets out a groan as the crest that had been mounting collapses and opens her eyes to glare at Aster, but just smirks.

"What… the hell?" She pants, digging her nails into the blankets to keep from hitting him.

"I've got a little wager for you, sheila."

"Do you now?" She continues to glare at him, but inside a wave of excitement grows. She was used to their little games, and though they were sometimes frustrating, the end result was always satisfying.

"If you can stay relatively quiet for three orgasms, you're in charge tomorrow night." Her eyebrow rises at the offer. He knew that she liked to be in charge in almost everything she did. The bedroom was no exception. "But if I can get you to scream for me within those three orgasms, I rule for the next three days." Her mouth drops open and she sits up in disbelief.

"Wait a minute. Why do you get three days and all I get is one night?" Aster leans toward her with an arrogant smirk, and she doesn't know whether to slap him or kiss him.

"Because I'm the Easter Bunny, baby doll." And with that he grips her hips and pulls her down to meet him, thrusting into her in one practiced movement. She is barely able to hold in her moan and she shuts her mouth tightly, glaring right into his eyes. She never liked to lose a bet anyway, but this was definitely one that she wanted to win, despite her rather bad odds.

Aster knew how to work her like no one else did, and he knew that she was prone to multiple orgasms that just got stronger each time. If she managed not to scream for him within three rounds, then that alone would be something for her to brag about.

"Is that the best you've got?" She grits out, trying to hold herself back as he increases his speed to a rapid rhythm that makes her toes curl. Aster smiles back at her, and she lifts her legs to wrap around his hips. She continues to look him in the eye until he thrusts forward particularly hard, and her eyes flutter shut and a moan leaves her mouth. At his amused chuckle they shoot open again and she bites her lip, cursing him.

"What was that?" She just continues to glare and tries to keep quiet, but he's using all of the weapons in his arsenal to get her to scream. He slows just enough so that she can feel every ridge of him against her walls, and then he circles his hips against her, making her whimper.

Aster speeds up again and uses one of his paws to tug at her nipple, bringing a gasp out of her. She feels the previously denied wave of pleasure building up again and clenches her teeth, focusing on staying quiet. Somehow she succeeds and merely groans as her walls clench around him, making him slow for a few moments.

"That's one." He pants with a smile, and Fever just manages a smirk before she recognizes the look in his eye. He hated to lose, and he was not liking her sudden bout of self-control. She continues to come down from her high, and then just when she thinks he is going to continue, he pulls out of her, hissing at the loss of warmth and soft pressure.

"Aster, wha-" He doesn't answer, and instead grips her thighs to flip her over onto her stomach as he moves to stand at the edge of the bed. She gasps at the sudden position change and then is even more surprised when he grasps her wrists and places them onto her lower back, one of his paws holding them securely as the other spreads her thighs wide.

She pants against the bed spread, turning her head so her cheek is on the cloth. She tries to look over her shoulder at him, but he uses the elbow of his arm holding her wrists to keep her head down. His tip runs along her over sensitive folds, and she lets out a small whimper of anticipation. He chuckles against her neck, making her shiver.

"You can just give up now, baby doll." He croons, and she grits her teeth in irritation.

"Why? Can't keep it up anymore?" At her taunt Aster thrusts into her so sharply that her body is pushed forward a couple of inches, and she can't hold back a loud cry of pleasure and pain.

"Aww, was that too much?" Despite their rather sensual and serious game, Fever feels a giggle rising in her throat. His offended tone let her know that he didn't appreciate her little dig. He continues to press into her upper back, keeping her lower front against the bed, and thrusts into her, making sure to keep her thighs spread far enough apart that she feels the friction on her clit every time he enters her.

"Ohh." She whimpers into the comforter and her hands begin to make fists, her nails digging into her palms.

"Hmm?" Aster taunts, speeding up his thrusts and panting against her neck. She tries to focus on something else, anything else, other than the pleasure ripping through her. The feeling of his body pressing hers into the mattress was maddening, and the fact that she couldn't move only added to the erotic sensation of their joining.

Fever closes her eyes, her hips beginning to move against his to meet his thrusts, her walls contracting rhythmically around him. She moans and shakes her head, attempting to control her body and stop it from surrendering to him. However, her mind and body were disconnected at that moment, because her knees begin to go weak and her legs tremble in his grasp, making him chuckle as her moans increase in volume and pitch.

"Come on baby doll… just give in…" Her eyes shut tightly and she bites her lip nearly hard enough to break skin to keep in the sounds that want to escape so desperately. She tries to ignore him as he whispers heatedly into her ear. But his voice sends tingles down her spine, and combined with the spikes of pleasure his cock was sending through her, all she could do was moan. He gasps as her walls clench down on him, and she shakes underneath him as her orgasm hits her, screams erupting from her throat.

"Oohhhh, Aster! Ahhh… oh God!" She begins to sob as her hips grind against his enthusiastic thrusts, and Aster groans and cries out along with her, feeling the built up tension in his groin explode as fireworks burst behind his eyelids. His thrusts falter as he empties himself inside of her, feeling her walls continue to grip him as her orgasm is prolonged by the constant friction. She lets out a final cry and whimpers, and her shoulders slump onto the mattress, her hands relaxing against her back. Aster breathes deeply and smiles at her entirely sated expression, and pulls out of her slowly, watching her swollen lips part in a gasp as she is left empty. Her walls clutch at him to draw him back but he contains himself. After all, he had the next three days…

Aster smirks and releases Fever's wrists, and she turns slightly onto her side, staring up at him with a mixture of irritation and reverence.

"I believe that was two. I win." His expression is full of masculine pride, and she just rolls her eyes and continues to catch her breath as he climbs onto the bed behind her. He wraps his arms around her and buries his face into her tousled hair, breathing her in.

"You cheated." He laughs at her tone.

"I merely used the tricks that _you _taught me."

"Bullshit." She sits up and glares back at him, and his smirk widens. He always _did_ love to make her angry. "You didn't give me a chance to fight back. You can't just hold me down and-"

"Wanna bet?" He rumbles, his eyes darkening with wicked promises. She feels her cheeks flush as her pulse surges. She didn't want to admit that she had enjoyed it, but he had clearly seen her reaction to being at his mercy, or lack thereof.

"Look rabbit-" Aster grins. She only called him that when she was very irritated or trying to put him in his place, which was pretty often. And he loved every second of it.

"Now now, Fever. You need to get some rest. You're mine for the next three days, remember?" He leans forward to kiss her and she finds that as much as she hated losing the bet, she was looking forward to the consequences...

xoXox

**Author's Note: **I know... I'm a sucker for happy endings and I desperately want to fix the world. Sigh. Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. I'm glad to see that I'm not the only twisted person who loves the Faster scenes, and so as a thank you for putting up with the teasing, I am going to add Aster's three days of fame. I'll post one a day starting tomorrow. You're welcome!

I am also pleased to announce that the sequel to this is already half written! It's called "Bouncing Baby Bunnies." Here's the summary:

"Fever and Aster have been through a lot together. They've protected the world from evil, gotten over their competitiveness with each other… kind of, and they have even settled into a stable relationship that makes them both extremely happy. But they have yet to take on one of the biggest hurdles in either of their lives: parenthood. Romance/Family"

BBB is a lot sweeter and more fun than this one, mostly because I was missing the fluffy love that was in "Chocolate Connoiseur." Also, I wanted to discover how these characters would be as parents. Lastly, I wanted to write about Aster's past and his thoughts on gaining a new family. So keep an eye out for the first chapter hopefully within the next week. Thanks again for reading!


	16. Day 1: Dessert

**Author's Note: **So this is Aster's first day of fame. I'm not even going to bother warning anyone for this one because it's pretty tame compared to the last chapter and day 3. Oops! Did I say too much? Enjoy!

Day 1: Dessert

Fever had known that Aster was good at what he did. She had seen the result of his care and patience put into every egg and every chocolate that was sent out to every child. He had great pride in being the Easter Bunny, and took no prisoners when it came to making sure that everything turned out perfect on his day. His dedication to the happiness of children had given her the premature notion that he was too sweet and adorable in order to do any real damage in a fight. Sure, she knew he was a Guardian. But she didn't expect that he could ever best her in a fight or even possibly defeat someone as vile as Luke. She had been proven wrong. Aster was loving, brave, loyal, strong, stubborn, irritating… and if he didn't stop looking at her like that then she was going to smack him!

"What?" She finally snaps, taking off her armor and weapons and setting them on the dresser as she did every night. He continues to stand there with his arms crossed over his chest and an eyebrow raised, not saying a word. "If you don't stop staring at me and say something-"

"I thought we had a deal." He interrupts her calmly. His tone makes her pause and she turns to him, confused. "Didn't we?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Last night. We had a deal." She sighs and walks closer to him, resting a hand on the bed as she begins to pull off her boots.

"What deal?" His whiskers twitch in annoyance and she smirks. It always amused her how he could look so angry and adorably sexy at the same time. He uncrosses his arms and she finds her eyes trailing over him as she did every time she came home, admiring his lean muscles and oh so soft gray fur. He clears his throat and her eyes return to his, and he still looks upset. W_hat could I have done? _She tries to think back to a deal that they had made, and can't think of anything, so she repeats herself. "What deal?"

"You screamed." Is all he says, and her brow furrows as she gets her second boot off and sits on top of the bed. He lets out a frustrated sigh and glares at her, but she can see the heat in his eyes beginning to simmer, and it makes her stomach flutter. "We made a deal that if I could get you to scream for me, that you would be mine for three days." _Oh! _Her cheeks flush slightly as she remembers their previous night, and she subconsciously pulls her long hair over her shoulder to run her fingers through it nervously. He always did love to make bets and play games with her. She had been so into it that night, but upon waking had completely spaced out about it. Fever was so used to just waking up and wandering around to do her work, so she had completely forgotten that she was supposedly _his _due to her loss. "It's nighttime, Fever."

"I know that." Her voice is strong, and she glares up at him, making him return it. "I have to work, Aster. I don't care if you think you won some stupid bet-"

"Oh, I don't _think_ I won. I won, baby doll, conclusively and _loudly." _He leans over her on the bed and she shrinks back slightly as she begins to feel crowded, the impulsive reaction from being so near the one she loves and desires most. "I won you for three days. Not three nights. Three whole days."

"Well then it's nighttime. So you still don't have any rights to me until tomorrow." Fever tries to twist his words, but Aster just shakes his head and smirks at her.

"Nice try. But you knew the terms when you agreed last night." His arm wraps around her waist and pulls her toward him, and she succumbs gladly, wrapping her arms around his neck. While she did hate to lose, and didn't want to admit that he had won the bet fair and square, she knew better than to try to resist her own body's urges. Their lips lock passionately, and Aster leans over her on the bed, using his other hand to prop himself up. Fever strokes one of his ears and feels his chest rumble against hers appreciatively. Then he pulls away, making her stare up at him in confusion. "I won, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah, you've said as much." _What does he want, a medal? _She tries to pull his head back down to her, but he stands up completely, making her growl in frustration. He laughs and moves away from the bed, and she sits up to watch him leave the burrow, her jaw dropping. Was he just going to _leave?_ She knew she had annoyed him by forgetting, but _really? _She shouldn't have worried though, because he is back in seconds, holding two bowls. She stares at them, trying to figure out what game he was playing now, and he simply walks over with them and smiles at her.

"I won, so-"

"I know!"

"-I wanted to do something special." He ignores her annoyed interruption and sets the bowls down on the bed, and she leans over to inspect them. One held a bowl of what looked like melted chocolate, and the other held strawberries. "You skipped out on me for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so I guess you'll just have to be my dessert." Her head turns abruptly at her words and she stares at him with wide eyes.

"I'm what?" He leans forward again and kisses her chastely on the lips before his paws move to the laces of her bodice. He undoes the lacing efficiently and pulls off her overcoat, followed quickly by the rest of her clothing. "Wait a minute. You seriously want to use me as your own personal buffet?" She had been doing her job for far too long to be embarrassed by the kinks or quirks in any relationship, but it still surprised her. All he does is smirk at her and pushes her down to lay on the bed. "Who would have thought that you had a sweet tooth?" He ignores her and reaches over to the bowl of fruit, picking up a strawberry first and dipping it in the gooey chocolate. He gives her a teasing look before running the fruit over her lips, letting her taste the sweet syrup before dragging it down her chin and neck, setting the berry into the dip of her clavicle. "Don't I get any?"

"You would have gotten some if you had been here all day." She bites her lip to hold in a smile. He really _was _put out by that. She makes her eyes wide with innocence and gives him an apologetic look, but he just continues to set his table, so to speak. He puts more chocolate dipped strawberries over her bare skin, sometimes drawing patterns with the chocolate. He sets one into her navel and then more down her legs. She noticed that he was purposefully ignoring her groin.

When he seems satisfied with the placement of the fruit he just moves his head forward to grasp the strawberries with his teeth and lips only, his eyes gazing at her languidly. She is tempted to roll her eyes and shift, making all of his hard work fall off of her, but instead she lies there steadily, watching him. He eats the first strawberry, and then his tongue snakes out over her flesh to lick the remaining chocolate.

"That tickles." She breathes out, and he smiles and nips at her skin softly, making her squirm. His paw moves over her hip to stop her, and he tuts at her for risking ruining his plan. He continues down her chest, eating the strawberry placed between her breasts, and then spends some more time moving down her stomach to her legs. By the time he reaches the strawberries on her ankles her breaths are slightly erratic and her skin is flushed from excitement.

Fever wanted nothing more than to just forget about his "dessert" and tackle him, spilled fruit and chocolate be damned, but she could see how much he was enjoying it too. His breaths on her skin made her tingle, and she could clearly see that he was aroused. She couldn't bear to ruin this for him, especially when she _had _forgotten about their deal.

When the fruit is completely gone, she expects him to move onto the main course, but instead he simply grabs the bowl of chocolate and unceremoniously tips is over her chest and drizzles more down her stomach. She gasps and tries to sit up, but only succeeds in making the chocolate travel further over her skin. She turns to glare at Aster, but her breath catches at the look in his eye.

"Oops." He says, not sounding the least bit apologetic, and he pushes her back down onto the bed before climbing over her, keeping his body off of hers. His tongue finds every inch of her sweetened skin and he laps up every drop of chocolate, making her continue to wriggle and moan softly. He sucks on her nipple even after it is clean, and his paw moves down to her thighs, parting them.

"Aster…" At her plea he moves his fingers over her bundle of nerves and massages gently. Her legs move up to either side of him and she gasps, her fingers clutching at the back of his head. He inserts a finger, thrusting it gently, and he feels her hips jerk into his hand. "Yes!" He increases the pace and he lowers his front onto hers, ignoring the feeling of sugary residue clinging to his fur.

"Yes?"

"Uhn!" She can't seem to get any more words out as her eyes shut tightly, riding out the waves of pleasure. He feels her walls clench around his finger and he smiles, pressing his thumb to her clit, enjoying her sounds.

Fever manages to move her hand between them and grasps his erection firmly, making him groan into her ear. He feels her smile against his cheek and she moves her hand to match his rhythm, squeezing her fist at his tip. Aster looks down into her eyes lovingly and she can't help but kiss him, making them drift shut again. He gasps when he feels a startling but familiar warmth start in his groin, and he laughs breathily, thrusting into her hand as she strokes him, producing the heat in her fingertips that she knew would drive him crazy and bring him release faster.

"No fair." He pants, and she just smirks into their kiss, her pace quickening. He does the same and they are once again in the same kind of situation that began their bet, always trying to best each other at their own game. It was exhilarating, and Fever couldn't imagine being with anyone else who loved her so much. She continues to pump her desire straight into him using her powers, and when he begins to shake against her she allows herself to follow him in euphoria, both of their voices mingling together. She feels his own warmth empty onto her hand and smiles again, listening to his deep breaths.

"All is fair in love and war." She chirps, and Aster lifts his head to gaze at her with a smirk.

"Is that so?"

xoXox

**Author's Note: **Never ever _ever_ say those words to Aster! The battle has begun!


	17. Day 2: Delicate is the Ego

**Author's Note: **Voila! Day 2! I'll just apologize in advance. Sorry!

Day 2: Delicate is the Ego

_All is fair in love and war_. Those were the words that came back to bite her the next day. She had attempted to leave the Warren with every intention of just checking on her couples and coming straight back before Aster even knew she had gone. However, she hadn't taken his keen ears into account. Before she even had a chance to get more than her underwear and tank top on, he had awoken and asked what she was doing. She didn't have the time to come up with an excuse, and so he had quite literally pounced on her. It had escalated into a wrestling match, and then a game of tag, the latter which she was currently losing.

Despite her ability to teleport around the Warren, he was still able to catch up to her with his speed. Every turn she made was matched and every time she teleported away he was able to catch up to her in seconds. She knew she could have simply teleported to the surface, but where was the fun in that? She never wanted to be considered a coward, and if she truly ran from Aster she would never hear the end of it. So here she was, resting for the few seconds that she had, holding herself up on the trunk of a tree.

Fever takes deep breaths, her ears listening for the slightest of movements. It isn't long before she hears the tell-tale footsteps and she immediately teleports to the higher branches, out of Aster's reach. She knew for a fact that he was afraid of heights, so there was no way he would consider climbing up to get her. She stands close to the trunk of the tree and watches Aster run to the base before looking up at her with a smirk.

"Fever, darling?" She rolls her eyes at the term of endearment. He had called her many things, but she knew that he was mocking her with that one. "Come on down, sweetheart, and we'll talk about this."

"I think I'll talk from up here." She says, sitting down onto the thick branch and dangling her feet.

"No, no, no." He chides, and stands to cross his arms over his chest. "Come down here, now."

"No." She snaps, turning her nose up at him.

"You're hurting my feelings." He pouts, and she laughs loudly.

"Your feelings aren't hurt as much as your ego."

"You're right." He says with a smirk. "So I think you should make it up to me _and_ my ego."

"Why don't the both of you just take care of each other?"

"Oh, baby doll… you know I'd much prefer you to take care of me." He leers up at her and she is just barely able to suppress a shiver. His tone makes her warm all over, and it takes all of her concentration to continue to act nonchalant.

"Nah, I don't think I will."

"You'll have to come down sometime."

"Not to _you_." She says, and from her vantage point she can see his eyes darken. If there was anything she had learned over the last couple of days, it was that he was in a possessive mood, and it didn't show any sign of stopping. Saying that she wouldn't do what he asked seemed to make him even more agitated, and while it was amusing, she was slightly intimidated.

"You'll come to me." He says in a matter of fact tone.

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because you'll want to _cum _eventually." Her cheeks flush and this time she can't respond for a moment. "Don't try to act as if you don't want it."

"Believe it or not, Aster, my pleasure does not revolve around you." She says, and hears him laugh just before she is suddenly knocked out of the tree. She screams as she feels the wind from her fall, and then she is safely in his arms. His paws grip her waist and he continues to laugh as she stares up at the tree just in time to see one of the larger branches, the one she had been sitting on, move back into place. "What the hell?" She feels his mouth on her neck and turns with a glare, trying to push at his chest to get him to stop.

"I am Spring, remember? In my Warren, all of the trees answer to me. And for the entirety of tomorrow, baby doll, so do you."

"No I-" He turns her and abruptly pushes her against the trunk of the tree, making her gasp.

"You do. Even if you don't want to believe it, you do." She shakes her head stubbornly, and he smirks. "Would you like me to prove it to you?"

"You could try, but I don't trust you."

"You don't _trust_ me?"

"No."

"And why is that?" He sounds extremely amused now, and his sweet expression is completely at odds with the rough way he is holding her. His grip is so tight that she squirms, and his eyes darken further.

"Because you don't play fair." It's juvenile, but she can't help it.

"All is fair in love and war. Isn't that what you told me last night?"

"Yes, but…" She is out of ideas, and he can see her faltering.

"You made a deal with me." She nods in agreement, and he begins to smile. "And then you _forgot _about our deal." She nods again, somewhat hesitantly. "And today you tried to run away from me." She swallows with difficulty and licks her lips, and his eyes dart down to them instantly. "That hurt my feelings, Fever." One of his paws begins to creep up her side and she stumbles back as far as she can, feeling his body move closer to hers. "That _really _hurt my feelings." His lips move over her jaw and her eyes flutter closed on impulse.

"I'm sorry." She mumbles, her mind turning fuzzy as his paw continues up her neck, brushing through her hair and resting at the base of her skull.

"Are you really?" She nods, feeling his whiskers brush her cheek with the motion. "Hm. Well, I guess you'll have to prove it, won't you?" Her brow furrows in confusion as he pulls his mouth away from her skin, and then she feels a hard pinch on the sensitive nerve on her neck. She lets out a soft moan of pain before her vision goes black and she collapses in his arms.

Aster smirks as he holds her limp body, ignoring the disappointment flooding him from having to end their day so soon. He knew that she would recover quickly, though. All he had done was knock her out for a little while. After all, he still had one more day, and he intended to make it count. She needed all of the rest she could get…

xoXox

**Author's Note: **… What? I said I was sorry! 0:)


	18. Day 3: Desire

**Author's Note: **Aaaand here we go! Day 3! Sorry it's late, but it's nothing but the good stuff!

**WARNING WARNING WARNING:** This is the worst (or best, depending on your view) one I've written so far. **EncyclopediaBrittanica**, if there were ever a time when Aster went crazy during Mating Season, I think it would go something like this. Alright let's see… **Do not read** this if you're offended by Aster rutting (Bunny loving doesn't seem appropriate), very graphic language (I'm not kidding it's pretty bad, or good), bondage, domination, Fever's rear end, umm… certain… happy fluids on… some areas… what the hell else did I put in here? I don't know, the smut fairy was on my shoulder whispering to me the entire time. I blame her. Anyway, both partners are completely willing, but Aster is having a "mood", and you should just know how Faster are in the bedroom by now anyway… Yeah… I'm so going to hell.

Day 3: Desire

The first thing Fever notices when she wakes up is that she is completely immobilized. She tries to stretch, but her arms and legs are pulled taut, and she can't move an inch. Her eyes snap open in surprise and she glances up toward her wrists. _What the hell? _Thick ropes are holding her hands to the headboard of her bed, and judging by the way she couldn't pull them down at all, the knots were extremely tight. She tries to move her legs with the same result, and she begins to panic until she realizes that she is still in the burrow of the Warren, which meant that this was all Aster's fault. The thought makes her growl in irritation and she instantly looks around the room for him. Of course, there is no sign, and this only makes her angrier.

"Aster!" She yells, continuing to pull on the ropes to search for any weak spot. When there is no response she yells for him again, and grits her teeth against the exasperating feeling of helplessness. She begins to breathe heavily from her efforts and eventually hears him enter the room. She turns as best she can to see over her shoulder, and his smirking face is what makes her lose it. "What the hell is going on?"

"I'm glad you're awake. I was worried that I'd really hurt you for a while." He says, but his tone makes it clear that he is much more amused than truly apologetic. "I just didn't want you trying to run away again, baby doll." She glares at him and ceases her attempts to get free. It was clear that she wasn't in any danger, but there was no denying that she wanted him to stop playing around and let her go. She was used to these moods he got in, but never had he tied her up.

Being the Spirit of Lust, she was not a stranger to the intense things people did in the bedroom, but never had she considered that she would be participating in such activities.

"Untie me. Now."

"I don't think you're in any position to be giving orders." He says, and walks leisurely to the side of the bed to look down at her. "Must we really go through this again? You already ruined my plans for yesterday, so seeing as this is my last day in charge, I'm going to make it count." His paw strokes down the side of her face, and she feels warmth coiling in her lower abdomen.

"Couldn't you make it count _without _the ropes?" She snaps to distract herself.

"Nope." He smiles and his eyes travel down her body, and she notices for the first time that she is completely naked. Even though they had been together for a while, this was very different. She felt like she was on full display for him, and she couldn't decide if she liked it or not. "You look so beautiful like this, Fever." Her cheeks flush at his tone and his smile widens. "I know you're strong, and maybe you could beat me in a fight, but right now you just look so vulnerable and soft…" He continues to trail his paw over her hair and she glares up defiantly at him. "You and I both know that you can't do anything right now, so you might as well just give up."

"As soon as I'm free I'm going to-" Her angry rant is stopped when Aster's paw grips her jaw roughly, and he forces her mouth closed. She tries to pull her head away from him, but with the rest of her body being held down she couldn't get enough strength behind it. She then tries to open her mouth to bite him, but he just laughs and leans closer to her face with a smirk.

"So vulnerable… and still that mouth of yours manages to ruin the effect." He reaches over to the table by the bed and digs through the drawers for a moment before he pulls something out. Fever's eyes dart nervously to the object, and her eyes widen at the sight of a ball gag. "It's alright. I've got something to keep you quiet." She doesn't even have time to wonder how he had gotten the device, because he was prying her suddenly clenched mouth open, digging his fingers into her cheeks. As soon as her lips part, the ball is shoved into her mouth, and his paws move to the back of her head to clasp the band.

Fever mumbles angrily against the uncomfortable gag, and continues to glare up at him. If anything his eyes just darken even more, and she can tell that just the sight of her finally so complacent was enough to arouse him. She had prided herself on being strong enough to handle anything. She was smart, she was skilled with a blade, she had even killed Luke single handed! But the sight of Aster leaning over her with such lust in his eyes made her quiver, and she forgot all about her "skills," because at this point they were absolutely useless.

"Oh Fever, " he sighs, "you have no idea what it does to me to see you like this." She had _some _idea, as the proof was currently making itself known against her thigh. But she couldn't possibly answer, so she just stares up at him with a mixture of anxiety and passion. "You're completely mine, at my mercy." His paw trails over her thigh, and it twitches in response. "I've dreamt about this, you know. I never expected to be able to actually do it." Fever jumps in surprise when his fingers are suddenly at her entrance, trailing over her sensitive flesh. Her sounds are muffled by the gag, and he smirks. "I do love that little thing. I love listening to your voice, but sometimes I have to admit that the idea of making you completely silent is quite… fascinating."

She lets out a low moan when his finger enters her, but Aster doesn't move it. He simply feels her walls contract around it, begging for friction. She tries to move her hips, but is once again reminded that she is tied, and lets out a frustrated scream. What was the point of all of her training if she couldn't even break through some little ropes?

"The only problem with the gag is that I can't fuck your pretty little mouth." Her breath catches in her throat at the sensual picture he creates. "I would so love to feel your lips around me." She feels his soft cheek against hers as he whispers in her ear, and then he begins to move the finger inside of her slowly, so slowly that she wants to beg him to either speed up or stop completely; anything to stop the torture. "You would suck me so good, wouldn't you baby doll?" She lets out another moan, trying to keep her thoughts straight between his wicked words and the movement of his finger.

"Ugh… unnn…"

"What's that? I didn't quite catch it." He smirks, halting his movements. "I think you were trying to say that you agree with me." Aster speeds up the motions of his hand and his eyes dart to her own against the headboard. Her nails are digging into her palms, making crescent dents in her skin. "It really _is _a shame. But maybe I can find somewhere else…" She couldn't remember closing her eyes, but they open as he lets his sentence dissolve into a breathy chuckle. He sits up from his position over her and moves upwards slightly, and she can see that he is completely erect, the tip glistening with moisture. She pants behind the gag and stares up at him in confusion.

"How about here?" He moves forward still so his knees are on either side of her stomach, and she squirms as he settles his member right in between her breasts. "Would you mind if I fucked your tits, Fever?" She tries to glare at him for mocking her. He knew very well that she couldn't answer, and the fact that he was trying to make her feel as if she had any say was making her angry. Then again, didn't she have a say?

He knew very well that she could teleport away if she was truly afraid or wanted to stop. They didn't have a safe word, because she always had a way out. He trusted her to stop this if he went too far, and she trusted him enough to stay put. The thought warms her heart slightly, clearing the lusty fog for a moment. Did she want to stop? The immediate answer was no. She _did _trust him. He would never hurt her, this she knew for a fact. Besides, she was willing to try most things. She never expected that Aster would be into any of this. The fact that he was a Guardian had made her think of him as G rated. That vision of him was now completely erased.

Fever stares up at his form, leaning over her and breathing raggedly, gazing down at her and waiting for a sign. She just continues to sit there, her eyes moving down to the proof of his desire, and finally when she shows no sign of true fear, he shifts so he is kneeling over her, and his paws move to her breasts, cupping them for a moment and rolling her nipples. She wants to sigh, but settles instead for arching slightly into his touch, and his smirk returns. He pushes her breasts together and shifts his hips forward so he feels the soft flesh squeezing him. The pre-cum helps make the movement easier, and he lets out a low moan at the new feeling. She can't help but just gape at him, watching him pleasure himself in this new way. His eyes flutter shut and his head falls backward as his pace increases. His grip on her breasts tightens and she lets out a small whimper from behind the gag, gaining his attention once again.

"Oh, baby doll." She was really beginning to like that nickname. She smiles as best she can and just continues to watch him, trying to ignore the need to press her thighs together to alleviate some of the tension in her own body. His thumbs flick at her nipples as he continues to thrust between her breasts, and then all she can focus on is his voice. It appeared that since she had been rendered speechless for the remainder of the day, he was going to do enough talking for the both of them. She was not going to complain one bit. "So soft and warm… oh, shit…" She moans and feels the pain in her palms from her fingernails and tries to relax her hands. The throbbing beginning in her body was becoming uncomfortable, and she desperately hoped that the pleasure wouldn't be one-sided all night. "You don't mind if I cum all over your breasts, right, sweetheart? My good girl…" He begins to pant and she moans along with him, feeling her skin tingle from his continued stimulation on her upper body. In seconds Aster is trembling above her, and she feels his cum hit her collarbone and under her jaw. Her eyes shut in reflex as some even reaches her chin, and she can hear him groaning at the sight as he becomes aware of his surroundings again. He moves off of her upper body and settles further down, his eyes burning through her.

Fever wonders idly what is going through his mind as he focuses on the mess he had made, and then he licks his lips. His paw moves back down to her center, and she moans gratefully when he continues what he had started earlier, this time pushing two fingers inside of her and curling them upwards into the spot he knows drives her crazy. She lets out a muffled squeal and her back arches as much as possible, making him smirk.

"I was wrong. You looked beautiful before, all tied up and angry. But I much prefer you tied up, spread open for me, all hot and bothered, and covered in my cum." Her moans rise in pitch and her teeth bite down hard on the rubber ball in her mouth. _Oh, dear Moon! _Rated G Aster had officially left the Warren. This was a whole other side of him, and she was beginning to love it!

Aster stares down at his love as she begins to writhe despite the ropes holding her to the bed. When he had planned this, he never expected it to go so well. He wasn't going to count his chickens before they hatched, and had somewhat expected her to teleport away as she had the day before. He did hate it when she ran from him, but he was glad that she had a way to escape if she felt the need to. Still… this had worked completely in both of their favors.

Seeing her so complacent and submissive made his blood boil, and he didn't intend to stop any time soon. He feels his dick harden again, and moves a hand down to stroke himself as his fingers continue to pleasure her. When her thighs start to tremble, he pulls his fingers out of her, ignoring her cry of outrage and frustration, and sits up slightly to watch her eyes open, their rims becoming wet with unshed tears. He feels a moment of concern, before he realizes that Fever is just reacting to the physical and mental anxiety of having her orgasm denied twice, and he can still detect a hint of sensual playfulness in her expression.

Assured that she is fine, he shifts so his member is even with her entrance but doesn't penetrate her. Instead he merely thrusts over her, his shaft grazing her clit and folds with just enough pressure to make her even more desperate. Fever moans and her toes curl, but she can see that he will not put an end to her suffering so easily. He smirks as he watches her react to the slow torment, and groans as he feels warm moisture leak from her to further lubricate him.

"What's the matter, baby doll?" He coos, and resists the urge to laugh when she lets out an angry scream, tugging at her restraints again. He presses harder into her flesh, still not entering her, and feels himself swell even more. It was hard for him as well, being so close to what he wanted most and holding himself back. But he knew that her orgasm would be so much better after being denied for so long. "What did you say yesterday? Something about your pleasure not revolving around me, I believe?" Her head thumps back onto the bed, and his smirk widens. "Well… you seem completely at my mercy right now, aren't you?" She turns her head to bury her face into her outstretched arm, and her whimpers increase as his hips speed up. One of his paws move to her entrance to spread her lips further, and she screams as her clit is more exposed and directly stimulated by the head of his cock. "Jesus… fuck…" He shakes his head slightly to clear it and then focuses back on her face. Her jaw is clenched on the gag, and he wonders idly how much more stress it and she can take.

With one last thrust forward he removes himself from her with another curse, and moves forward on the bed, his paws going to the ropes on her ankles. He spends just a few seconds altering the knots so he can give her legs some slack, and then makes sure the knots are tight again. He lifts her hips off of the bed as much as the new length of the ropes allows, and buries his face into her lower stomach, his tongue dragging over her navel and making her gasp. He moves even lower and his paws grip under her rear as he strokes her clit with his lips. In an instant she is rising again, and he tries to ignore his own throbbing heat as he pleasures her with his mouth.

"Ahh… ahh urgh!" Aster can tell that she is trying to say his name, and it makes him increase his efforts. His tongue circles her clit and flicks it rapidly, making her scream again, and then he moves it to enter her, pressing against her inner walls. He moans at the sweet taste of her and continues to thrust his tongue in and out of her, feeling her tighten and moisten around the flexible muscle. "Mmmnnn!" _I love that gag, _he thinks to himself. Listening to her try to scream was turning him on so much that he felt as if he might burst, and he groans into her flesh as he moves his tongue back up to the little bundle of nerves that is crying out for attention.

Fever feels the tension in her body reach a breaking point and she practically weeps, feeling tears finally leak from her clenched shut eyes as she begs Aster to continue, not to stop again. Her body was desperate for release, and despite what she had said the previous day, right now her pleasure did revolve around him. And she never wanted it to stop. Thankfully he doesn't, and his tongue plunges back into her just as her orgasm takes over, making her shake and moan erratically. It lasts so long that she feels as if she could pass out from the feeling, and she is incredibly aware that Aster just continues to lick her through it, sending fireworks through her oversensitive flesh.

When it is over she pants from behind the gag and tries to open her eyes, her limbs feeling like jelly. She feels something snap by her feet and wrists, and realizes that Aster is untying her. She lets out a moan and allows herself to be scooped up into his arms, feeling his soft fur graze her heated skin. She thinks he is going to set her down and let her sleep after such a long session, but when her lids finally lift she can see that he is far from done, and the smirk on his face makes her shiver.

"I'm not done yet, baby doll." His voice is roughened and she is instantly on guard, waiting for what he was planning. He just uses her still hazy state to turn her and put her on all fours, and she feels her wrists being tied together by the remaining ropes. Aster then pulls them back up to the headboard together and secures her there before doing the same with her ankles. She notices that while it is slightly unfamiliar and uncomfortable, with her legs so close together she stood a better chance of giving herself the friction she so needed. "You're so fucking perfect." His lips trail over her neck and she moans, her hips pushing back into his lower body as he kneels over her. "So wet and warm." His fingers probe at her entrance and she smiles, the anticipation of what was to come exciting her. "I wonder…" and then his finger moves upward, away from her pussy and up to her ass, and she freezes. The pad on his pointer finger taps at her other hole thoughtfully, and she swallows, not knowing what to do. "Have you ever been fucked here before?"

Fever feels a chill go through her at his words and she shakes her head urgently. She had never even considered it. She still wasn't sure about it now, but she would be lying if she didn't say that Aster was making her rethink her previous judgments about it. She shifts her hips slightly, and then she gasps and her eyes widen as the tip of his finger begins to press inward, making her clench around the digit.

"No, you definitely haven't. You're so tight here." She lets out a whimper at the discomfort, and resists the urge to move away from him. _Just give it a chance, _she thinks to herself, trying to calm down. As his first knuckle moves past the ring of muscles, she lets out a soft sound, neither pleasurable nor from pain. "You okay, baby doll?" She feels warmth spread over her at his concern, and she nods, opening her eyes to stare at the headboard. She feels something much more familiar prod lower, and instantly perks up. "I know, I know. You like my cock much better, don't you?" His raspy teasing makes her want to roll her eyes, but then he thrusts into her quickly, and she forgets all about it.

Aster begins to pick up the pace immediately, the angle and pressure making Fever moan. She is still aware of his finger in her ass, moving around more now, and he works more of it in, thrusting it gently, completely opposite of his rough thrusts into the velvety walls of her womanhood.

"Mmmm, yes. So fucking good." He mumbles, his other paw moving to hold her hip steady. Aster pants and continues to thrust his finger into her other opening, before withdrawing and adding another, feeling her stretch around him. He can hear her reactions, waiting for any sign to stop, but she begins to move against him, and he smirks, seeing now just how deep her passionate center went. It was no wonder why she was chosen… she was a wildcat in bed. "Look at you, desperate for my cock in your cunt and my fingers in your ass. Such a dirty little girl…" She screams in response and he leans forward to nip at her neck. "It feels good, doesn't it? You don't want to admit it, but you know you love it."

He thrusts hard against her and she screams loudly, her walls clenching him so hard that he curses and pauses for a moment to gather himself. His two fingers continue to thrust into her ass, and he watches for a moment, entranced at the sight of his dick and fingers inside of her, giving her pleasure. It was _him _making her scream like that, and he loved every second of it. He wonders idly if her voice would be worn out by morning, and he imagines bringing her to the other Guardians to listen to her raspy words, showing them all who she belonged to. _I really am twisted, _he thinks with a smirk, listening to Fever's appreciative sounds. Her hips begin to grind back into him, and he thrusts into her harder, feeling his tip hit her cervix and making her scream even more. He pulls his fingers out of her, watching her ring of muscles contract from the loss, and regretfully pulls his dick out of her also.

"Ohhhh… oh!" Fever's desperate noises make him shudder and his ears flatten against his skull as he tries to gather his concentration.

"Don't worry, sweetness. I'll give you what you want. But first…" He reaches behind her head and unclasps the gag, pulling the rubber ball out from between her teeth. She instantly flexes her jaw to get rid of the discomfort and the moans just pour out of her mouth.

"Please, Aster… oh God, please!"

"Please what?" He pants into her ear and feels himself twitch against her backside in response to her eagerness.

"Fuck me…"

"Hm?"

"Fuck me, damn it, fuck me!"

"You're going to have to be more specific." She screams out and turns to glare at him over her shoulder, her cheeks flushed with desire and rage. While he loved talking to her in ways that made her hot, he loved hearing her admit the words she didn't always say out loud. He loved bringing this out of her, this wild passion that only he could generate. Fever bites her lip before just disregarding all illusions of propriety.

"I want your cock in me."

"Where?"

"I don't care! My pussy, my ass! I don't care! Just anywhere!" She yells, and Aster takes a deep breath, relishing in the pleasure that just her words cause.

"And why don't you care?" She is silent now, and he rubs his dick along her backside from her ass to her clit and back again, making her moan. "Tell me, baby doll…"

"Because I'm yours. All of me."

"And?"

"And my pleasure revolves around you, damn it." It was hard for her to say, and she didn't completely believe it. She had grown up to know that only she controlled her body, but in this case she was willing to make an exception. Besides, she would prefer _this _to her hand any day. "Please, Aster! I want yoouuuaaaAAHHH!" Her last word turns into a scream as he plunges his dick into her backside, feeling her ass stretch to accommodate his girth. "Oh God, oh God, oh God!" She chants loudly, hearing her voice bounce off of the walls of the burrow as Aster begins to thrust into her previously untouched cavern.

"Yes, baby doll… you are mine… all mine…" His lips trail over her neck and jaw as he continues to whisper to her, claiming her, and she just pushes back against him, relishing in the feeling of his body moving against her. One of his paws moves to her front to squeeze her breast, and she closes her eyes as the strange feeling of invasion turns into pleasure. Every ripple on his shaft presses against her walls and she feels something beginning to build inside of her. Fever doesn't think it can get any better until his other paw moves around her waist and he knocks her thighs apart, having undone the ropes on her ankles without her even realizing it. His fingers move to her dripping entrance and push forward, making her gasp. Her backside was so full, that the feeling of his fingers pushing inside of her also was absolutely amazing.

Aster pants against her neck, feeling the way she is even tighter with his cock still moving inside of her. He pushes two fingers inside of her pussy, and then adds a third, and then a fourth, feeling her begin to shake from the stimulation.

"Oh, baby…" He grunts and his hips jerk wildly as she continues to moan and scream from the movements of his hand as well.

"Aster, I can't… too much… oh, shit!"

"Yes, yes, yes, yes." He's not sure now if he's trying to reassure her or just trying to keep his own pleasure alive at this point, but he chants the word like a prayer as his vision begins to turn white and he feels the familiar tightening in his groin. "Fuck!" He pushes through the temptation to give in, focusing on getting Fever there first. Her ass and pussy quiver and he moves his hand furiously, pressing his fingers against the front of her wall straight at the sensitive tissue that makes her sob in pleasure.

"Aster!" Her entire body wracks underneath him, and he gasps and pauses, closing his eyes and savoring the feeling of her squeezing him almost to the point of pain. He flexes his hand inside of her, prolonging her orgasm and drawing more sounds from her as her nails claw into the bed sheets. Aster can't hold back any longer and jerks his hips a few more times until he feels his load shoot deep inside of her, groaning and crying out her name as his pleasure is ripped from him. He feels every stream of cum leave him and moans at the thought of marking her so intimately, in a way no one else ever would. He stays there, catching his breath for a minute or so, and then pulls out his hand gently, trying not to overwhelm her. When he exits her ass, he can't help but watch his cum drip from her, and has to look away before he started something he wasn't sure his exhausted body could finish at that point.

"Son of a bitch…" He breathes deeply and moves forward to untie Fever's wrists, and she barely reacts other than a small smile.

"Mmmmm." Fever can feel that her throat is already sore, and she wants to scoff at the fact that Aster had been so ready to keep her silent, but in the end he had wanted to hear her above anything else. She makes a note to make some tea with honey before she needed to speak to anyone else. She could just imagine what Val would have to say…

Aster raises an eyebrow as he hears her small giggle, but she just shakes her head at his questioning look. He lets it go and lays down next to her, breathing her in and running his paw up and down her body reverently.

"You, baby doll, are dangerous." He mumbles, and she giggles again before turning around to face him. "You should come with a warning label." Fever looks at him incredulously.

"_Me?_ If there's anyone who should come with a warning label, it's you, Thumper. I didn't do anything."

"Oh, you did. You made me fall in love with you." His suddenly sweet statement warms her heart, and he smiles slightly, his green eyes holding hers. "You snared me in your trap and made me love you unconditionally. And now look at me." She raises an eyebrow and smirks at him.

"You look pretty damned happy to me." She says, and pokes at his pink nose playfully.

"I am. So happy." He says, and leans forward to capture her lips with his. Her eyes drift shut and she feels her body tingle in awareness again.

"Mm." She mumbles and pulls away. "If you're going to start this again, you're going to have to give me a few minutes to recover… and clean up." He smirks and looks down at her, his eyes lingering on the parts of her body where he had indeed made a mess.

"Ah ah. I'm still in charge, remember?" She glares at him and he chuckles, pulling her chin toward him for another kiss. She responds eagerly, deciding that cleaning up could wait…

xoXox

**Author's Note: **Okay so technically "A Fine Line" is now complete. I'm still working on "Bouncing Baby Bunnies" so like I said a couple of chapters back, hopefully it will be up within a week or so.

You guys are awesome and I thank you again for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Ciao for now!


End file.
